Golkar wins big, PDI decimated

Sat, 31 May 1997, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar made a sweeping victory in Thursday's
general election which saw the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
almost decimated and the United Development Party (PPP) gaining
ground, according to the latest tally of votes.

By 9 o'clock last night, with more than 106 million of valid
votes counted by the National Election Committee, Golkar won 74
percent, the United Development Party (PPP) 23 percent and PDI 3
percent.

The authorities have not announced the turnout rate or the
spoilt ballots -- both usually used as a rough measures of
people's discontent at the system. More than 124.7 million
Indonesians were registered as voters.

Golkar's total tally is within its target of 70.02 percent and
exceeds the 68.11 percent it achieved five years ago. When all
the votes have been counted, Golkar, under chairman Harmoko,
could surpass its best election feat in 1987 when it polled 73.17
percent.

PPP, a coalition of Moslem parties which had campaigned on a
platform for political reforms, made a significant improvement on
the 17 percent it polled in 1992, but failed to beat its best
showing of 27.78 percent in the 1977 election.

PDI, beset by divided leadership, made a dismal, but not
totally unexpected, showing. Historically a coalition of
nationalist and Christian forces, the party has always played as
the smallest of the minority parties in the six elections held
under President Soeharto, but never this small.

The results showed that many of the discontented PDI
supporters switched allegiances, and voted for PPP.

The party was divided into those supporting chairman Soerjadi,
who is backed by the government, and loyalists of Megawati
Soekarnoputri, whom Soerjadi ousted in an officially-sanctioned
congress in June last year.

The government does not recognize Megawati's leadership and
barred her from taking part in the election as leader of the
party. She announced last week that she was boycotting the
election.

The results of the election will determine the composition of
the House of Representatives. There were 425 seats up for grab
under the proportional representation system. Voters also cast
ballots for their local legislative councils.

The election committee had not yet announced the distribution
of seats for the House, but on the basis of the percentages of
counted votes, Golkar won 324 seats, PPP 87 and PDI 14 seats.
Currently, Golkar holds 282 seats, PPP 62 and PDI 56.

The Armed Forces, whose members did not vote, automatically
receives 75 House seats. In 1992, it was allocated 100 seats.

The results, even though provisional, left no doubt that
Golkar has a firm grip over the nation. In some provinces, its
victory was complete if not overwhelming that it is expected to
grab all the House seats allotted for these regions.

Golkar took more than 97 percent of the total votes counted in
Southeast Sulawesi and won by more than 90 percent in West
Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, Lampung, Bali, South Sulawesi, North
Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara.

In Jakarta, Golkar faced the stiffest challenge from PPP. Its
tally of votes rose only marginally to 57 percent, but PPP's
jumped from 24 percent to 41 percent.

In Central Java, the strong Golkar campaign, which at times
seemed overzealous to its opponents, paid off. Golkar's tally of
votes jumped from 55 percent in 1992 to 68 percent.

Besides Jakarta, PPP is also strong in East Java -- where it
has enjoyed a strong support from rural Moslems -- Yogyakarta,
and in South Kalimantan, the scene of a fatal riot triggered by
clashes between its supporters and Golkar's last week.

The election committee continued to update the results every
two hours yesterday, but with more than 106 million votes already
counted by the afternoon, the new results changed the composition
of the votes only marginally.

Concern

Soerjadi, clearly dejected, was circumspect in his comment
yesterday. "Assuming that there were no problems with the vote
counting, then we're truly concerned at the drastic drop in PDI
votes," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Golkar's top leaders, including Harmoko, were not available
for comment on the landslide victory, but its chief campaign
strategist Rully Chairul Azwar said the group was looking at
between 17 to 20 additional seats in the House.

In spite of official appeals to the minority parties to accept
the results, PPP yesterday demanded a recount in thousands of
areas where the ballots were not counted in the presence of the
public as required.

PPP Secretary General Tosari Wijaya listed polling stations in
Sampang and Sumenep in East Java, and in Southeast Sulawesi, West
Sumatra, South Sumatra, and Lampung where counting was dubious.

"This is a very serious violation," Tosari said in a media
conference at PPP's headquarters. "These violations angered
people, not the PPP's defeat," he said, referring to the
outbreaks of violence in Sampang.

PPP deputy chairman Yusuf Syakir said the party was consulting
lawyers from Indonesian Bar Association and Muhammadiyah Legal
Aid Institute for possible court actions.

PPP has received reports alleging vote buying in government
offices, intimidations, and that some people voted more than
once.

"We heard reports that they were paid between Rp 60,000 and Rp
100,000 and a full-month salary, if they voted Golkar," he said.

Tosari also claimed that PPP's tally of votes in Jakarta
should have been larger because its own data showed that the
party polled at least the same number of votes as Golkar.
(06/05/11/amd/01/emb)