Elections and mass amuck

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