Korpri must vote for Golkar?

"If there are Korpri (Civil Servants Corps) members who vote other than Golkar (Functional Group), then: Get out of Korpri," said Waskito Reksosoedirdjo, Secretary-General of Korpi, agreeing with an earlier statement made by Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.

Waskito was reacting to a statement made by Suryatna Soebrata who said that the law guarantees government employees the freedom to vote for the party of their choice.

As a layman in politics, I would like to contribute my opinion in a simple way. There are at least two or three high ranking government officials who have different opinions on matters concerning general elections in Indonesia. It is saddening that such disagreements happen openly between senior government officials. The public may get a bad impression about the way government officials cooperate and manage government affairs.

According to existing rules, the general election in this country is based on the principle of LUBER -- langsung, umum, bebas, rahasia (direct, public, free and secret). This means that even one's superior may not know what one votes. Waskito's harsh comments certainly do not meet with public expectations, especially the Korpri members' aspirations. It is insulting and inhuman to suggest that Korpri members leave their jobs if they do not vote for Golkar.

Frankly speaking, Golkar has performed positively in serving the country, especially in the difficult post-Communist era. So Golkar insists that it must win the coming election. It is a fair ideal, but it should not be achieved at all costs. Rules and regulations must be observed to achieve the aspired goal.

A. HARYONO

Jakarta