PPP announces tough stance on polls violations

PPP announces tough stance on polls violations

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the United Development Party (PPP) have vowed to take a stronger stance against violations during general elections.

Deputy chairman Zain Badjeber told reporters here yesterday that should violations occur again in the 1997 general election without the government responding to them properly, "we will file charges against it".

Zain, who was accompanied by other party executives including chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, said the government should launch investigations into any reports of violations "even without us requesting it".

"We will step up our advocacy against violations in the next elections," he said. "If reports are not acted on, we will sue the government so the people know what is happening," he said.

Zain and the other party executives were explaining to reporters the results of the party's recent leadership meeting in Cipayung, West Java, at which they vowed to stand up against the practice of coercion and intimidation during elections.

The stronger stance, Zain pointed out, is consistent with the party's political statement issued at the talks, particularly the pledge "to take concrete actions to defend people who may become victims of the implementation of the 1997 elections."

According to the Criminal Code, reports on intimidation, for instance, can be investigated without requests from the victims themselves.

Zain accused the government's election supervision committee of failing to act on reports of violations occurring during the previous general elections.

Also yesterday, the party leaders announced the establishment of three bodies (lajnah) to better prepare them for the next elections. Advocacy and litigation is the job of the advocacy body chaired by Zain.

The other two bodies are the electoral campaign body headed by Aisyah Aminy, and the funding and logistics body under Hamzah Haz.

In a related development, the chairman of the ruling grouping Golkar, Harmoko, denied the PPP's charges that his grouping has been mobilizing students during school hours for its cadre meetings around the country.

Harmoko also denied yesterday Ismail's claim that the students were under-age and not even cadres for the political grouping.

"Golkar has never mobilized students," he said. The students "are at least 17 years old and they are first-time voters, so their attendance is legal".

"When they come to the meetings they come as cadres, not as students ...they attend after school hours or on holidays," Harmoko said. He added he usually travels to cadre meetings on Saturdays and Sundays.

"I always give out Golkar membership cards to the 17-year- olds," he said.

He said the young cadres "have become Golkar members of their own accord, without any coercion."

"Golkar realizes this is what we need, members who join of their own will, because they are reliable, strong, prime-quality cadres," he said. (anr)