No place now for New Order-style 'farce' elections

JAKARTA (JP): Elections during Soeharto's New Order constituted "political farce" marked by rampant cheating to give his 32-year grip on power the sheen of legitimacy, political observers said in a seminar on Saturday.

Efforts are needed to bar against a repeat of the infractions and to ensure the election in June 1999 is honest and fair, the observers agreed in the gathering on a new political format, organized by the dominant Golkar political grouping and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

Speakers included political scientist Cornelis Lay of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, A. Wahab Mokodongan of the military think tank Institute for National Resilience, Hartono Mardjono of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Abdillah Thoha of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Others were political commentator Arbi Sanit of University of Indonesia, Deliar Noer of the Muslim Ummat Party (PUI) and Matori Abdul Djalil of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Lay said elections were the most powerful tool for a country to lend political legitimacy to a regime. "Regardless of the level of validity of the elections, the regime (can claim it as proof) of its legitimacy to rule," he said as quoted by Antara.

Through elections, observers gauge public confidence in a regime, he said. During the New Order regime, he added, demands for fair play and honesty were treated as "fairy tales".

"Then, elections had to proceed 'safely' and 'smoothly' but only based on the military's criteria, not political ones," he said.

"It's the military that determined most things, including the election's results. During the New Order regime, it was the military that was most busy handling the elections."

Although the lecturer agreed the next election should proceed safely, he said more important were the upholding of honesty and fair play principles, vital for democratization to prevail.

"The problem is it's a cause for worry that the next elections would not be fair and honest, because our political elite is suffering from 'morality poverty'," he said. "Money politics, for instance, (may lead to failure) that means the political mandate could go to the wrong party."

Mokodongan, a former Armed Forces (ABRI) spokesman, said the election debate revolved around the suspicion particular parties would use the next polls to maintain the status quo.

But he believed elections alone would no longer be enough for particular groups to retain dominance, "which is why they have to be honest and fair". He stressed that members of the Armed Forces and the 4.1 million civil servants must be "neutral".

Abdillah Thoha joined most of the other participants in highlighting various types of election manipulation during the New Order. He cited how the election committee once registered 600,000 Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle East for the vote, more than double the actual 280,000.

"This places the next election in a very vulnerable situation, which is why it should be fair and honest so there won't be chaos and student demonstrations erupting everywhere."

Hartono Mardjono asserted "there was no fair and honest election during the New Order".

He warned of "nonreform" elements' campaign to influence the deliberation of political bills and ensure the results would benefit them. He said Golkar was most likely to gain advantage from them.

The discussion was opened by Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, who promised his party would accept in good grace the winner of the next election.

"The other parties... should also be willing to accept (the winners) as a reflection of (the country's) democratic life," Tandjung said.

He believed the political format needed to be reviewed and improved to help create political stability and economic development.

Akbar said weaknesses of the political format under the Old Order and the New Order regimes stifled the development of an ideal political format and cultivated endless political conflicts.

Conflicts sapped the nation of its energy, resulting in the neglect of the economy and the people's welfare, he said.

Conspicuously absent from the discussion were political leaders Megawati Soekarnoputri (PDI), Amien Rais (PAN) and Yusril Ihza Mahendra (PBB), and Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar of the Institute of National Resilience.

"They agreed to come, but later sent their representatives," said organizer Marzuki Darusman.

The lively exchange of views included agreement from military observer Indria Samego that military personnel and civil servants must remain neutral. (swe)