Govt reiterates call to vote

Govt reiterates call to vote

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia concludes its 27-day campaigning
period today with the government reiterating its call to people
not to abstain from voting on May 29.

Secretary-general of the General Elections Institute Suryatna
Subrata told a press conference at the agency's office in Central
Jakarta that people "must use their political rights and vote".

Hours later, ousted chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri declared her intention to return her
registration form and abstain from voting.

"I, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in my capacity as an individual,
have decided not to use my political right to vote on May 29,"
she said in a statement lasting 15 minutes at her home in
Kebagusan, Pasar Minggu subdistrict.

"Voting is a citizen's individual right and people must
exercise this right in accordance with their own conscience."

Abstaining from voting is legal under Indonesian electoral
law, but it is an offense to encourage others not to vote.

"I am calling on the nation to listen to your conscience when
the time comes for you to exercise your political rights on the
election day," said Megawati, who retains a large following
despite being toppled from the party's helm at a rebel congress
last year. The congress reinstated former chairman Soerjadi.

More than 124 million eligible voters are expected to go to
the polls next week to elect 425 members of the House of
Representatives (DPR).

Suryatna said people help ensure that the country's
development programs continue through their participation in the
electoral process.

He instructed polling witnesses from the three election
parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and PDI --
to do their job well and immediately report any violations to the
institute.

Suryatna spoke after chairing a meeting evaluating the past
week of sometimes violent campaigning. The authorities reported
126 fatalities in traffic accidents during rallies.

Supporters

Megawati insisted she remained the lawful PDI chief, termed
Soerjadi's leadership unconstitutional and vowed to continue
challenging him in court. Most of her lawsuits filed across the
country are still in appeal courts.

Many of her supporters pledged to stand behind her.

"I think our supporters have the same understanding...that they
will exercise their rights not to vote for the government-backed
but unconstitutional PDI," said Mangara Siahaan, a former film
star who was named a deputy chairman by Megawati.

PDI legislator Marcel Beding also said he would not vote.

In a related development, 10,000 Megawati supporters from
Yogyakarta and several Central Java cities staged a brief
Javanese rite at the Parangkusumo Beach in Bantul in support of
Megawati. They floated PDI flags, rose and jasmine petals and
other offerings out to sea, concluding the act with a prayer.

"We'll still wait for Megawati's final instruction before we
make our decision regarding the general election," said Suprapti,
a 60-year-old loyalist.

Megawati's statement quashed speculation that she would give a
formal blessing to her thousands of supporters on forming an
alliance with the PPP. Analysts have cited the growing ranks of
people brandishing her picture at PPP rallies.

PPP leader Djufrie Asmoredjo said yesterday that his party
"won't be affected by Megawati's stance..much less become
worried...because we have our own reliable supporters".

Thousands of Soerjadi's supporters attended a PDI campaign in
Banjarnegara, Central Java, yesterday.

"Alhamdulillah (praise Allah), our branch remains solid and
unaffected by the PDI's internal dispute," Bambang Sunaryo,
chairman of the Board of Advisors of the PDI's Central Java
chapter, told The Jakarta Post.

He claimed that many PDI supporters who were believed to have
joined Megawati's ranks had now declared their allegiance to
Soerjadi. (imn/amd/23/wah)