Pijar members hand voter cards over to human rights body
Pijar members hand voter cards over to human rights body
JAKARTA (JP): Forty members of the Pijar non-governmental
organization demonstrated their intention not to vote in the
general election when they handed over their yellow voter cards
yesterday to the National Commission on Human Rights.
Commission members Marzuki Darusman and Asmara Nababan told
the youths that no Indonesians should relinquish their rights to
vote.
The youths handed over their election registration cards to
protest the poll which they said was "legally defective". The
students cited the rejection of the list of legislature
candidates drafted by the ousted chief of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri, as one defect.
Marzuki told the youths they should return the cards to the
General Elections Institute which had issued them.
But the commission took the cards for safe keeping.
"You should exercise your rights to vote," Marzuki said.
A team of observers had been formed to follow the election, he
said. The team would meet today to discuss issues to be presented
to the government.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security Soesilo Soedarman again told the public to vote.
"Brush aside any intention of becoming a Golput (nonvoter),"
he was quoted by Antara as saying. "Vote according to your
conscience.
"The Armed Forces are prepared to secure the general election,
so no one should hesitate to go to the polling booths," he said.
Several officials and religious leaders have been telling the
public to vote for fear of many people boycotting the poll. Their
calls intensified after Megawati recently declared her intention
to keep her yellow registration card and abstain from voting.
Analysts have predicted that Megawati's "personal decision,"
would cause more people to boycott the poll. Legislator Marcel
Beding, her supporters in East Java led by Soetjipto and other
loyalists have promptly followed suit by declaring their
intentions not to vote.
Predictably, Megawati's PDI rivals led by Soerjadi -- who
replaced her as party leader in a government-backed congress last
June in Medan, condemned her decision.
In Salatiga, Central Java, the local chairman of the Soerjadi-
led PDI branch, Marsudi, said he regretted Megawati's
"irresponsible" decision.
"Her stance has created the impression that she does not feel
any responsibility for the people, especially the PDI cadres," he
was quoted by Antara as saying. "We are really sorry to hear
about her decision."
He said that, despite Megawati saying her decision had been a
personal one, her stance was tantamount to launching an
initiative to disrupt the election. (01/aan/swe)