More parties needed for general elections

JAKARTA (JP): A group of critical scholars called yesterday on the government to allow more "political parties" to contest the general elections.

Deliar Noer and his colleagues grouped in the Forum for Restoration of People's Sovereignty told Marzuki Darusman, deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, that the 1945 Constitution's guarantee for freedom to vote had yet to be adequately implemented here.

Deliar, an American-educated political scientist, identified a number of "violations" he believed could be prevented if there were more political parties contending the general elections. He cited the recent calls for civil servants to vote for Golkar in next year's election.

"The government's campaign to have civil servants vote for Golkar...is against the rights guaranteed by the Constitution," he said.

"Our people should be given the freedom to vote for any political party in the upcoming election."

He said people should be free to vote not only for the three existing political contestants -- Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party -- but also for any alternative political party or group.

"What if people detest the three existing contestants? Should we let them become golput?" he told Marzuki, referring to those who opt not to vote for the existing contestants. The term is an acronym of Golongan Putih, literally "the white group."

He called on the General Elections Institute, that organizes general elections, to consider threats not to vote in the election scheduled for May 29 next year.

"Given the current political situation, there's a distinct possibility that the number of people who abstain from voting next year will increase," he said.

The 71-year old academic, who twice lost his teaching and administrative posts in two higher-education institutions in the late 1960s and early 1970s after delivering critical speeches, was accompanied by, among others, by Abdul Madjid and Wachdiat Sukardi.

Deliar said the elections institute should facilitate proposals, from both individuals and groups in society, to have additional political contestants or to name alternative presidential candidates for the 1998 - 2003 period.

Deliar said his group believed there should be more than one presidential candidate. "We also call for younger and 'fresher' candidates," he said.

Marzuki said Deliar and his colleagues' call for additional political contestants was delivered too close to the general election.

"It's almost impossible to accommodate the call for what people call a 'democratic' system... We only have five months to go before general election day," he said.

"What's important is making sure the system is duly implemented," he said.

Marzuki also said the rights commission welcomed the Forum's suggestions because they were worth future examination.

He said he believed the government would welcome suggestions for improving general election procedures.

Marzuki, however, said he did not believe the predicted increase in the number of people no-voters would pose a threat to the general election next year. (imn)