PPP criticizes Golkar, govt, political scene

PPP criticizes Golkar, govt, political scene

JAKARTA (JP): The Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP)
commemorated its 23rd anniversary yesterday, lashing out at the
ruling Golkar, the government and the political scene in general.

"Our general elections have not been clean, honest or fair,"
chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said in an address to some 50
leading members.

In a speech 18 pages long, Ismail blasted "a certain political
contestant" for influencing the elections by placing its cadres
in the election committees at even the lowest level in regions.

"Formally, the three political contestants are excluded from
the committees. All three look like they are only players," he
said. "In reality, though... the only pure players are the
political parties, while the other one is a playing referee".

Ismail Hasan was clearly referring to the ruling Golkar.

Indonesia recognizes three political contestants: the ruling
Golkar, PPP and the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI). Both PPP and PDI are officially named political parties,
while Golkar -- whose name stands for Golongan Karya or
functional group -- does not term itself a political party.

PPP charged that some civil servants, who were also cadres of
this "certain political grouping" and posted at the committees,
experienced "great psychological pressure" and fear for their
source of livelihood if they treated the three political
contestants impartially.

"They can't take a neutral stance...they forget they are the
servants of the country, not of that political grouping," he
said. "They have lost their idealism, their conscience..."

Violations

Ismail Hasan then cited a number of violations during past
general elections, including manipulations of ballot sheets,
intimidation and physical threats toward PPP supporters.

He said the party lodged complaints over some violations in
the 1992 elections with the authorities, including the Ministry
of Home Affairs, but has received no response so far.

"We did not submit a book of poems for them to read, but
complaints and reports that should have been handled," he said
harshly.

Ismail Hasan then demanded that the Law on General Elections
be amended. "If things stay as they are, our democracy will
experience setbacks in the global age," he said.

Ismail then "instructed" the PPP faction at the House of
Representatives to sponsor a "draft law on initiatives" to amend
the existing laws on general elections.

The party will push for, among other things, the inclusion of
representatives of political parties and Golkar in the two lowest
general elections committees.

It will also push for the holding of elections during
holidays, to avoid "covert pressures" on civil servants, teachers
and students to vote for a "certain political contestant".

All of the 4.5 million civil servants are required to be
members of Golkar.

The party will also demand that all witnesses for balloting
and vote counting be appointed or dismissed by the relevant
political contestants.

Finally, "there should be a mechanism" to deal with
violations, he said.

"This draft law should be able to curb violations and criminal
actions in the elections," he said. The establishment of
"democratic rules, with tight sanctions, may be the way to
instill shame" in certain people, to make them hesitate before
they commit violations, he said.

Ismail also lashed out at government officials who have been
rejecting the call of PPP and PDI to include "fair and honest" in
the principles guiding the implementation of general elections.
At present, the elections are held on the principles of "direct,
general, free and confidential".

The complaints of PPP and PDI are long-standing. For the past
five general elections, Golkar has swept the board, leaving PPP a
distant second runner and PDI even farther behind.

In the last election, Golkar won 68 percent of the votes, the
PPP 17 percent and the PDI 15 percent. Four hundred of the 500
seats in the House were divided accordingly. The other 100 seats
are reserved for ABRI, whose members do not vote.

"We are now concerned, not only because our politics are not
healthy, but also because they are dehumanized," Ismail said.
"Our politics no longer have moral values or conscience."

"People feel no remorse in lying, negating realities, being
self-righteous, claiming lies to be the truth, and justifying
means to achieve an end," he said.

Islamic parties merged in 1973 to establish PPP. It once
claimed itself an Islamic party, but later amended its stance and
called itself an "open party" ready to receive supporters from
any religious background. (swe)