PPP edict draws mixed responses

PPP edict draws mixed responses

JAKARTA (JP): A call by the United Development Party (PPP) for
ulemas from all three political groups to issue an edict on the
general election received mixed reactions yesterday.

A cautious deputy chairman of the Ulemas Council of Indonesia
(MUI), Ali Yafie, said the council was open to deliberating the
appeal.

Burhan Magenda, who heads the Board of Intellectuals of the
dominant political organization Golkar, rejected the PPP's idea,
as the agreement reached by chairmen of the three political
groups was enough to guarantee the election would run in
accordance with moral and ethical principles.

Secretary-General of the government-supported Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) faction Buttu Hutapea said the leadership
of the nationalist-Christian coalition party had no plans to
respond to the PPP's suggestion.

The advice, one of five political statements issued Sunday by
the PPP at the conclusion of its three-day leadership meeting,
received support from Golkar legislator Didiet Haryadi
Priyohutomo, who said that such an edict would prevent political
disintegration.

The PPP Central Board suggested over the weekend a national
edict from ulemas would serve as moral guidance prior to the May
29 election.

The election, the sixth to be held under the New Order since
1971, will be contested by PPP, Golkar and the PDI. They will be
vying for 425 of the 500 House of Representatives seats. The rest
are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.

PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said in a meeting with 300
ulemas from all over the country last week that ulemas are
crucial to the building of good political morals of the political
groups they are affiliated to, and should not be tools used to
win general elections.

The appeal emerged in the wake of the PPP's concern about
overwhelming moral decadence. It said ulemas must help instill
upstanding ethical political behavior.

No comment

Yafie, a Golkar legislative candidate, said MUI could not
comment until it received an explanation from PPP.

"They should meet with us to let us know the goals of
gathering ulemas for an edict on the general election," Yafie
said.

He indicated however that such a special convention of ulemas
was not necessary because the ulemas always met at the MUI
office.

Yafie said the ulemas council had no plan to issue an edict on
the general election, saying that it would just encourage Moslems
all over the country to help ensure the election runs safely and
successfully.

According to Yafie, an ethical election requires both the
government and political groups to give their full respect to the
rules and Pancasila's moral principles, which reject enmity and
the trading of accusations.

Burhan, who is also a lecturer at the Jakarta-based University
of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences, said it
would be hard for the public to understand the PPP's call for an
ethical election.

"The government has widely promoted an election which should
run in a direct, general and confidential manner. These
principles are already clear," Burhan said.

He agreed with the PPP's statement that a number of offenses
had occurred in the past, but he said they did not need blowing
out of proportion.

"Let's believe in the government's goodwill to see the
upcoming election is run in accordance to the regulations," he
said.

Didiet, former chairman of the National Youth Committee, said
that the commitment of the three poll contestants' leadership
was not enough to guarantee a fair election.

"The commitment should be accompanied by a move to promote an
ethical election at the grassroots," Didiet said.

Didiet said PPP would not have raised the issue if organizers
of the previous elections had stuck to the rules while carrying
out their duties.

Meanwhile, Hutapea refused to comment, saying that the PDI
would like to insert "just and honest" to the "direct, general,
free and confidential" principles already included in the
existing election rules. (amd)