LIPI to study parties' 1997 election campigns

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) will conduct strategic social, political and cultural studies on the political campaigns for next year's general election, the institute's chairman, Soefjan Tsauri, said yesterday.

At a hearing of House Commission X for science and technology, Soefjan said the institute would also prepare a database on past general election campaigns. The hearing was led by Amir Singgih of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the House of Representatives.

Soefjan said one of the studies would be titled Data on the Social and Political Role of ABRI in the Second Long-term Development Plan period.

He said the study would be used by the government and the National Council for Defense and Security to design policies on the organization of general elections.

President Soeharto has called for new regulations on election campaigning to prevent a repetition of the chaos and violence that has marked past elections. He asked the National Council for Defense and Security to draw up new regulations for the 1997 general election, scheduled for the end of May.

The President has stressed that election campaigns should no longer be turned into shows of force by the political organizations contesting elections. The council, comprising retired military officers, advises the President on state matters.

Calls to regulate election campaigns were first voiced by Golkar, the ruling political grouping, at its leadership meeting in October last year. Golkar officials have suggested that outdoor rallies be banned because they could lead to trouble, and that they should be replaced by indoor meetings and televised discussions among the candidates running for the House of Representatives.

Soefjan said yesterday that for the 1997/1998 fiscal year, LIPI would propose 394 activities, grouped into 42 project proposals and request Rp 279.6 billion (US$119 million) in funding from the government. This figure is up 177 percent on last year's funding of Rp 102 billion.

Soefjan was quoted by Antara as saying that each researcher would need between US$40,000 and $60,000 for his research and development activities, while US$50,000 was needed for each researcher each year to cover overhead costs.

"Based on this calculation, the average spending of LIPI each year is Rp 175.6 billion, including the salaries of 1,527 university-graduate employees," Soefjan said.

In recent years, the institute has not only failed to attract the best university graduates but has also suffered a serious "brain drain". The best university graduates are shunning academic life by opting to work for private companies where salaries are much higher.

Between 1987 and 1992, more than 170 researchers abandoned LIPI for private institutions citing poor pay. In 1992, the monthly salary of its lowest ranking researcher was Rp 60,000 ($31) per month, while senior researchers received Rp 250,000. (swe)