More PPP, PDI involvement in 1997 general election

More PPP, PDI involvement in 1997 general election

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. promised yesterday that the government will involve the two minority parties in the preparation and administration of the upcoming general election in 1997 more than it has in the past.

Greater involvement by the contestants of the elections, from the beginning until the end of the process, is expected to lead to a better quality general election, Yogie said addressing the first meeting of the National Election Committee.

The United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) have long complained about the way the elections have been administered by the government.

Although they have been represented on the central and local election committees in past elections, the two minority parties said that irregularities were rampant in the elections, which were designed to ensure victory for Golkar, the ruling political organization.

Golkar has won all the five general elections held since 1971. In the last election in 1992, it polled 68 percent of the total votes, with PPP coming a distant second with 17 percent and PDI the remaining 15 percent.

As if to address their complaints, Yogie yesterday said that all contestants will now be involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the elections, from the national to the district levels.

He said the government has issued a decree, No. 10/1995, which stipulates that contestants should be involved in every step of the election processes.

Yogie urged members of the election committee to participate more actively than they have in the past.

Yogie also chairs the newly established 26-member National Election Committee. Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman heads the committee's advisory board while Attorney General Singgih heads the monitoring board. All three election contestants are represented on the board.

Election committees at provincial, regency and district levels will also be formed soon.

However, the PPP and PDI are likely to have problems recruiting enough volunteers to represent them on election committees in certain districts.

PDI has another problem in store in East Java, where two opposing camps are contesting the right to represent the party.

The PDI's election committee seat would be left empty until the party resolved the dispute, Yogie told reporters after the meeting.

Holding the 1997 general election is expected to cost Rp 214 billion ($94 million), Waluyo, the deputy secretary of the national election committee, told reporters. (imn)