PPP reveals Golkar plot to cheat

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) said it has discovered more poll rigging attempts by the dominant political party, Golkar.

PPP's deputy secretary-general, Bachtiar Chamsyah, said he had uncovered an inter-office memo issued by the secretary-general of the Ministry of Information, Tonny Soekaton, instructing employees to obtain extra voting tickets for polling day.

The circular said the ministry's employees living in nearby West Java should apply for temporary identity cards in Jakarta. The circulation was distributed to the ministry's inspector- general, director-general of general information, director- general of radio, television and film, director-general of press and graphics and chief of the ministry's research and development center.

With the Jakarta identity card, employees will get another voting ticket, in addition to one from their own area, Bachtiar said.

In the circular, the secretary-general cited an agreement between the Jakarta and West Java administrations to help government employees working in Jakarta but living in West Java with identity card applications.

Historically, government employees, grouped under the public servants' corps, are Golkar supporters and obliged to vote for the dominant party in every election.

With its six million members, the corps is a very important political power, whose members' votes are keenly sought after.

Tonny could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The director-general of press and graphics, Subrata, said he had not received the circular. "Once I receive it, I'll check its content," he said.

Bachtiar said the PPP's branch in Gorontalo, North Sulawesi, stopped campaigning Monday after a series of threats from local officials.

The branch has been denied permits to campaign at several villages.

Another poll rigging attempt was reported in South Sulawesi's Bone regency. The local PPP chief, M. Arsyad Pana, said a village head had drawn up a report stating Golkar had won 2,141 of the 2,218 votes, while the PPP won 72 votes and the Indonesian Democratic Party only 5 votes. (imn/37)