Korpri must vote for Golkar?

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