Mixed reactions greet Soeharto's majority remarks

Mixed reactions greet Soeharto's majority remarks

SEMARANG (JP): President Soeharto's insistence on seeking to
maintain Golkar's absolute majority received mixed reactions from
politicians and an observer yesterday.

AM Saefuddin, a legislator from the United Development Party
(PPP), said Indonesia still needs a party with an absolute
majority in the House of Representatives because Indonesians are
not ready yet for fully-fledged democracy.

The general public's inability to tolerate different views
shows that the people are yet to learn the ABC of democracy, he
told journalists.

"But in the future when people are politically mature and
their demand for social justice is high, Indonesia should drop
the tradition," Saefuddin said. "All political parties should be
allowed the same opportunity to grow strong."

Separately, Abdul Kholiq, deputy chief of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), said he was opposed to President
Soeharto's view.

He claimed the government's insistence on keeping Golkar an
absolute majority political party has led to a hegemonic party
system, in which minority parties are suppressed by the state.

"The system has allowed one party (Golkar) to dominate the
state administration and makes it impossible for other parties to
take over the government in a democratic process," Kholiq said.

Golkar currently has 282 of the 400 contested seats in the
House of Representatives. PPP has 62 seats and PDI 56 seats. The
Armed Forces, whose seats are not contested in general elections,
is allocated 100 seats.

Sharing Kholiq's opinion was Susilo Utomo, a political analyst
from Diponegoro University. He said the government has been
favoring Golkar.

For example, the four-million strong civil service and
employees of state-run companies have been mobilized to support
Golkar, he said. Besides, the government has always tried to tar
PPP and PDI with negative images, he added.

Susilo pointed out that the government's monopoly in
organizing general elections helps Golkar in an obvious way.

"The government gives Golkar the greatest access to the mass
media, both state and private. It's fair to say that all TV
stations support Golkar's political campaigns."

"So people can see Harmoko (Golkar chief and Minister of
Information) address Golkar rallies on TV everyday without
protest from anyone. PPP and PDI leaders don't have this
privilege," he said.

Meanwhile in Jakarta, the Foundation of the Legal Aid
Institute criticized Golkar deputy chairman Abdul Gafur's
statement on Thursday that Indonesia does not need a new
political organization.

The foundation's chairman, Bambang Widjojanto, said the
citizens' right to assemble and organize is guaranteed by the
constitution.

Gafur quoted President Soeharto as saying on Thursday that
people should not even think of establishing new political
parties because the existing three are adequate. Besides, the
laws allow only the three.

Bambang said the existing three political organizations have
failed to represent the people's interests because they have been
co-opted by the government.

"The increasing demand for democracy and political reform is
the fruit of development that the New Order government (under
Soeharto) has been vigorously pursuing," he said. (har/pan)