Golkar's voter information drive draws fire
Golkar's voter information drive draws fire
JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political organization's alleged
premature electioneering in Central and East Java has angered
politicians from the rival parties.
Politicians from the minority Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) and the United Development Party (PPP) said yesterday that
Golkar's activities are a blatant violation of the electoral
rules.
Aberson Marle Sihaloho, a PDI legislator, said the President,
as the election organizer, should move to stop the illegal
electioneering undertaken by village chiefs.
Golkar, the Moslem-based PPP and the nationalists-Christian
alliance PDI will contest next year's election for the 425 seats
in the house of Representatives.
Golkar, who currently has 282 seats in the House, intends to
recoup the 17 seats it lost to the PDI and PPP in the 1992
election to augment its majority.
Under the electoral rules, election campaigning is determined
by the General Election Institute. It is usually conducted only
about one month ahead of the election day.
"The House members should convene to discuss what the
President should do to stop the campaigning," Aberson told The
Jakarta Post.
Village chiefs in Central and East Java have reportedly
embarked on door-to-door campaigning for Golkar. But the
governors of the two provinces have denied the reports.
PPP chief Ismail Hasan Metareum has denounced the premature
electioneering and threatened to file a complaint with the
Official Election Monitoring Committee.
It was reported that village chiefs gave residents forms on
which they were asked to write down their personal identity, job,
address and which political organization they would vote for in
the next election.
The premature electioneering took place in the Central Java
towns of Pemalang, Tegal and Pekalongan, and in a number of
villages in the East Java regencies of Gresik and Pasuruan.
Chief of the Gresik PPP chapter Sa'i Musa told The Post
yesterday he had been flooded with reports from party members on
Golkar's campaigning.
"All this shows that democratization is leading nowhere. More
and more government officials trick us ordinary people," he said.
East Java governor Basofi Soedirman claims he knew nothing of
the alleged premature electioneering.
"If it is proven that village chiefs have made rounds of
residents, it doesn't matter. People don't have to fill in the
forms if they are not inclined to do so," he said.
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
Soesilo Soedarman and the General Election Institute also claimed
they "knew nothing" of the alleged electioneering.
"I have yet to accept reports on it. You should go to the
Ministry of Home Affairs to seek confirmation. I do not know all
things," Soesilo said yesterday.
On Monday Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung
threatened to crush any attempt to sabotage the 1997 general
election.
"ABRI is determined to make the general election in 1997 and
the presidential election in 1998 a success," he said in a
written statement conveyed by Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo.
(15/rms)