Oka and Afan to represent govt in election body

JAKARTA (JP): Oka Mahendra of the Ministry of Justice, and political scientist Afan Gaffar of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University will be two of the five government representatives in the soon to be established National Election Committee (KPU), an official said.

The confirmation was given late Monday by Ryaas Rasyid, the director general for public administration and regional autonomy. The committee was to have been set up on March 1, but was delayed because the Team of Eleven -- in charge of examining and selecting poll contestants -- has yet to complete its task.

The committee will be manned by representatives of both the government and the political parties qualified to contest the poll. The latest estimates have about 60 parties qualifying, a dramatic increase from the last elections in 1997 when only Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party took part.

Ryaas said that no officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs would be assigned to the committee to ensure the office's neutrality.

"Dunidja, director general for sociopolitical affairs, secretary-general Feisal Tamin and myself will not join the committee," he said, adding that the government would also pick a military official to join the committee.

Feisal, also secretary-general of the existing General Election Institution (LPU) that will be replaced by the KPU, was earlier said to be on the committee.

Separately, Afan said in Yogyakarta he would honor his appointment by fighting for a free and fair general election.

"I will do my best to be as neutral as possible in the committee," he said.

The following are the activities of some of the political parties contesting the June elections.

* Amien Rais, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which is believed to be one of eight stronger contenders, said his party would carry out a program with four main measures if it won the elections.

"If we can grab 30 percent of votes in the elections we will immediately implement the main steps," he said after officiating the party's chapters in Gianyar, Bali, on Tuesday.

The four measures are: to coalesce with credible parties in order to form a clean and democratic government; to manage natural resources better; bolster democratization; and improve the quality of Indonesian human resources.

He insisted the establishment of a coalition would depend on the election results. He said PAN would tie itself only with parties that won the majority of votes and had the same political vision.

The statement was also a response to news that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) under Megawati Soekarnoputri, the National Awakening Party (PKB) led by Matori Abdul Djalil, and the Justice and Unity Party led by Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat had agreed to form a coalition.

* Meanwhile, the United Development Party (PPP) called on two of the countries largest Muslim organizations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, to respect their members who wished to vote for parties other than PAN (which is considered to be linked with Muhammadiyah) and PKB (linked to Nahdlatul Ulama) in the elections.

Chodijah, a PPP legislator, said after a meeting of the Central Java provincial PPP chapter in Semarang on Tuesday that many Muhammadiyah and NU members were joining parties other than PAN and PKB.

* Ulemas affiliated to the PKB gathered here on Monday night and issued a warning against violence and conflict among parties on the eve of the elections.

Hasjim Muzadi, representing the ulemas, said unstable political conditions should be handled wisely lest they grew into anarchy.

He cited the recent clashes between supporters of PDI Perjuangan and Golkar in Bali and the attack by PDI Perjuangan's supporters of PDI chairman Budi Hardjono in Lampung on Sunday.

* PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri called on party supporters to avoid violence.

"Violence and anarchy will disrupt national unity," she said in a seminar in Medan, North Sumatra, on Tuesday. She warned against threats of disintegration facing the country.

She refused to take responsibility for the beating by PDI Perjuangan's supporters of Budi. (rms/har/21/23)