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)