Elections and mass amuck

The people are looking forward to an honest and just general election this year. If it fails to live up to these expectations, it may trigger their anger and cause a mass amuck, whether or not there are instigators.

Dishonesty or fraudulence such as tampering with votes may also prompt the anger of the people.

The Team of 11 has automatically allowed the Functional Group (Golkar), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the United Development Party (PPP) to participate in the 1999 general election for the reason that these three political parties are established as organizations. This is considered unjust as reported by Merdeka recently. The three parties should have been obliged to go through the procedure of selection although in the end they would probably have been accepted. In this matter the Team of 11 showed little tact.

It is known that those three political parties received various facilities from the government for many years, such as office buildings both in Jakarta and the provinces complete with regular office facilities and financial aid for their smooth running. Why was there no accountability report?

Compare the newly established political parties which will compete with the established ones. Not only office equipment, even the buildings they must rent for themselves. At meetings participants often sit on mats on the floor.

There are many more unjust practices that could give rise to outbursts of mass amuck like the management of state company funds by Golkar as reported by Merdeka. Also the role given to Golkar to supervise government aid to Islamic boarding schools as reported by Duta recently.

Because the impact of a mass amuck is very detrimental to all, it is our duty to prevent this. Various policies which are unjust should be immediately reviewed and improved upon so they will not become the cause for mass violence.

IFRAD SUKANTO

Jakarta