More parties needed for general elections
<p>More parties needed for general elections</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): A group of critical scholars called yesterday on
the government to allow more "political parties" to contest the
general elections.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>"The government's campaign to have civil servants vote for
Golkar...is against the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,"
he said.</p><p>"Our people should be given the freedom to vote for any
political party in the upcoming election."</p><p>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.</p><p>"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."</p><p>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.</p><p>"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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Deliar said his group believed there should be more than one
presidential candidate. "We also call for younger and 'fresher'
candidates," he said.</p><p>Marzuki said Deliar and his colleagues' call for additional
political contestants was delivered too close to the general
election.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"What's important is making sure the system is duly
implemented," he said.</p><p>Marzuki also said the rights commission welcomed the Forum's
suggestions because they were worth future examination.</p><p>He said he believed the government would welcome suggestions
for improving general election procedures.</p><p>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)</p>
the government to allow more "political parties" to contest the
general elections.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>"The government's campaign to have civil servants vote for
Golkar...is against the rights guaranteed by the Constitution,"
he said.</p><p>"Our people should be given the freedom to vote for any
political party in the upcoming election."</p><p>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.</p><p>"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."</p><p>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.</p><p>"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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Deliar said his group believed there should be more than one
presidential candidate. "We also call for younger and 'fresher'
candidates," he said.</p><p>Marzuki said Deliar and his colleagues' call for additional
political contestants was delivered too close to the general
election.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"What's important is making sure the system is duly
implemented," he said.</p><p>Marzuki also said the rights commission welcomed the Forum's
suggestions because they were worth future examination.</p><p>He said he believed the government would welcome suggestions
for improving general election procedures.</p><p>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)</p>