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)