Golkar celebrates election victory, 'a gift from Allah'

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Harmoko led yesterday's celebration of the ruling party's landslide victory in the 1997 election, and called the win "a gift from Allah".

Harmoko reiterated that the poll had proceeded according to the law.

"Its results are therefore valid by law and the constitution," he told the gathering of members of Golkar's extended family, including Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.

He said the endorsement of final results by the three parties -- the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- had signified progress in the country's political culture and ethics.

"It shows that culturally and politically (people have become) good sports," he said. "The people have exercised their sovereignty by casting their free choice, so we have to accept it as a form of democracy..."

He was delighted by the high voter turnout -- 93 percent of 124,740,987 registered voters. He said this was higher than in countries that had called themselves the "the champions of democracy".

He said voter turnouts in the United States were less than 50 percent.

"The high turnout was proof that Indonesians support the existing political system and general election system," Harmoko said. "It greatly legitimizes the New Order administration."

About 1,500 people attended the gathering at Golkar headquarters yesterday, including Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman.

Harmoko said the election had been marred by unrest perpetrated by "irresponsible people".

Golkar regretted the exploitation of the election by those people, he said. "Even as we worked for a democratic and open political life through a transparent election, there were groups in the community which wanted unrest, violence and destruction," he said.

Harmoko, who was replaced recently as minister of information and became state minister of special assignments, rejected analysts' statements that the riots were caused by social and economic disparity, widespread discontent and blocked political communication.

He said economic and social disparity was a universal phenomenon.

"It's not something that can be overcome instantly," he said. "We should not exaggerate it, but handle it directly through development."

He said public discontent was common in many other countries.

"As for the alleged blocked political communication, during the election, we opened public communication channels as wide as possible," he said.

"People who were incited to unrest were just victims of organized exploitation by groups who wanted to create social and political instability," he said.

Golkar won 84,187,907 votes for 325 of the 425 contested seats in the House of Representatives. It was the best performance ever by Golkar, which has won all six general elections under the New Order since 1971. Golkar won the 1992 election with 282 House seats. (05/swe)