PPP calls for political reforms
PPP calls for political reforms
JAKARTA (JP): Senior politician Ismail Hasan Metareum called on the government and the majority of the legislative body yesterday to help usher in political reforms in the country.
The chairman of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) said in Cipayung, West Java, that the changes, however, should be made within the context of the nation's interests.
"Reforms and changes won't give maximum results unless they give appropriate space to (the principles of) unity...and equality," Ismail said during the opening of the party's leadership meeting.
He was quoted by the Suara Pembaruan daily as saying that the PPP is always "monitoring national development and designing reforms and changes which are democratic, constitutional, and in line with the principles of equality and unity".
He said that the votes obtained by any political parties during the general elections should be accompanied by a responsibility to uphold the people's sovereignty. The general elections should also be part of a total effort to develop the political rights of civilians.
"If the winning political party fails to play this role, it will definitely be abandoned (by its constituents), although physically those people can still be pushed or ordered to yell slogans of support for the parties," he said.
In the most recent election in 1992, the ruling Golkar won 68 percent of the votes, the PPP 17 percent and the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) 15 percent. Four hundred of the 500 seats in the House were divided accordingly.
The gathering, held at the Wisma Jaya Raya resort, was opened by Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and will last through tomorrow.
In his speech, Yogie said the political climate would heat up in the run-up to the 1997 general elections, which he called "a positive sign of the increasing public enthusiasm in political life."
Yogie also called for general efforts to keep order in the national political life, and to boost public political participation. (swe)