Golkar optimistic about national development

JAKARTA (JP): Despite various threats to national stability and order over the past year, the ruling political organization Golkar is confident Indonesia will be able to continue its development programs.

"We experienced unrest... yet we managed to maintain the nation's unity and harmony," said Golkar's year-end statement, co-signed by chairman Harmoko and secretary-general Ary Mardjono. The document was issued on Monday.

The organization described how the nation withstood attempts to undermine the government and to replace the state ideology Pancasila with liberalism, communism and separatism.

Golkar did not mention names, nor elaborate on who it believes launched attempts to undermine the government.

It said the year 1996 saw a series of social-political tensions and violence.

Indonesia experienced last year a number of major unrests, including the July 27 riots in Jakarta that followed a dispute in the Indonesian Democratic Party; the June attack against Moslem migrants in the predominately-Roman Catholic East Timor; the Oct. 10 attack on churches in the predominately Moslem Situbondo, East Java; and finally the Dec. 26 attack on ethnic Chinese and their property in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya.

Golkar observed people's expectations for democracy have increased in line with the progress the country has achieved in other fields.

"That expectation is a reflection of the dynamic of Indonesian politics with people questing for greater justice and the upholding of human dignity," the statement said.

Golkar also praised Indonesia's foreign affairs record. With its "free and active" foreign policies, Indonesia has been able to improve its image and role in international forums, the statement said.

The organization praised Indonesia's achievements in the economy, as shown by improved welfare, but regretted the existing social and economical disparities which are evident in the unbalanced distribution of capital and limited access to markets.

As for the country's legal development, Golkar said there has been an increase in people's awareness of their rights. It took note of the greater number of laws produced by the government last year.

This development, however, was accompanied by an increase in the number of violations of the laws, committed by both the general public and those in authority, with crimes that become more sophisticated and the debasement of the Indonesian judiciary, the statement said.

The organization called for greater efforts to improve the quality of Indonesian politics and to make the general election a success.

Eligible Indonesians will go to the polling booths and cast their votes to elect members of the House of Representatives in next year's election on May 29.

Golkar and the other political organizations

All 1,000 members of the People's Consultative Assembly, including the 500 members of the House of Representatives, will meet in March 1998 to elect the country's new president. (imn)