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)