General outlines election security plan

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono said yesterday the military plans to maintain security during the 1997 general elections in a "proportional" manner with the aim of avoiding the loss of human lives.

"Security then and during the 1998 session of the People's Consultative Assembly should not be approached as if we were facing enemies," Soeyono was quoted by Antara as saying in Bandar Lampung.

"We should strive to maintain security through preventive measures. If repressive measures are needed, then they shouldn't be excessive," he added. "They should be calculated so that they won't cause the loss of any human lives."

Soeyono was speaking following his inspection of military personnel assigned to the general election's security units in Lampung province. Some 120 million eligible voters are expected to go to the polls in the general election, scheduled for next June.

Soeyono noted that it was important for military personnel to maintain their composure during the election, since there were certain parties who might attempt to cause unrest and provoke them.

"ABRI personnel in the regions should be wary of such tactics," he said, adding that ABRI's image could be tarnished if its members yielded to the provocations.

"No matter how harsh the words used against ABRI are, no matter how sordid their actions are, as long as they do not endanger any life...we should continue to be strong and not be provoked," he said.

He asserted, however, that ABRI "would not hesitate" to take action against those who wanted to disrupt the five-yearly event.

Later Soeyono said that, based on their investigation, ABRI has found that a number of people were responsible for triggering the various disturbances that had recently occurred in such areas as Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, and Timika, Irian Jaya.

Soeyono stressed the importance of the presence of commanding forces in the field any time a crisis erupts or during other conditions predicted to be potentially unsettling.

"Don't just depend on long distance communication to handle the matter, no matter how sophisticated your tools are," he said.

Also attending yesterday's inspection was Lampung Governor Poedjono Pranyoto and Maj. Gen. Karyono of the Sriwijaya regional military command. (mds)