People must feel free to vote in elections: Tutut
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar leader Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana said yesterday people should feel free to vote for any of the three political parties in next month's general election.
"I'm not going to influence you to vote for Golkar. The decision will remain entirely yours," Hardiyanti said.
The Golkar deputy chairwoman was speaking at a gathering of the women's wing of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in Pondok Cabe subdistrict, Tangerang.
"All of the political contestants -- the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) are good," she said while officiating the wing's new training center she helped finance.
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher and NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, reportedly Hardiyanti's new political ally, were among those present at the gathering.
"You should not feel any fear in making your own choice," she said. But she added, participation in both the election campaign and polling should not be violent.
"Don't scratch each other's faces. We have to remember always that we are all one," she said.
Calls for a peaceful election campaign have been made by various parties. The clashes and violence that marred previous elections have spurred the government to ban street rallies during this year's election campaign.
The government-recognized PDI central board yesterday predicted disturbances provoked by supporters of the party's ousted leader Megawati Soekarnoputri during the election campaign.
PDI's deputy secretary-general Romulus Sihombing said "there are a few people who will try to disturb public gatherings held by the PDI".
Demonstration
Romulus was referring to the demonstration of some 5,000 supporters of Megawati at the House of Representatives last week.
"Experience has taught us that election campaigns are prone to disturbances, particularly on Java Island. But to some extent this year will be different," he said.
He said that internal rifts had frequently marred the party since its establishment in 1973, but opposing factions usually regrouped for the election campaign.
"In the past, one of the disputing factions would usually be willing to step aside for the sake of the party's unity. This time one of us is being very stubborn," he said, referring to Megawati's faction.
Nationwide campaigning will kick off Sunday and will run until May 23. The government only allows assemblies, the broadcast of public debates and the distribution of leaflets during the 27-day campaign period.
Romulus said Megawati's supporters "are relatively small in size and will not influence the PDI's vote earning".
"In some provinces we will suffer a slight decline or at least maintain our performance in the previous election, but we will make up for the decrease in other provinces," he said.
The PDI took 16 percent of more than 107 million votes in the 1992 election and gained 56 seats in DPR.
Soerjadi was reelected the party chairman following a controversial congress supported by the government in Medan, North Sumatra last year. The congress dethroned then incumbent Megawati.
The conflict peaked in the violent takeover of the party's headquarters from Megawati on July 27 last year, igniting riots which left five people dead, 149 injured and 23 missing.
But Romulus believed security authorities would manage to guard the election campaign. (imn/amd)