PPP vows to fight to amend 1995 law on elections

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) vowed yesterday to campaign to improve the 1985 law on general elections which, it said, favored Golkar.

PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir told about 15,000 supporters in the Mattoanging stadium here that, under Law No. 3/1985, only government officials could sit on the Election Supervision Committee.

"Everybody knows which political grouping the government officials belong to," Jusuf said, obviously referring to Golkar.

There would be less electoral fraud if representatives of the three parties -- PPP, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic (PPP) -- were on the committee, he said.

The law limited the committee to functioning at a subdistrict level and not in the villages, where most manipulation occurred, Jusuf said.

"But to change the law, we need your votes," he told supporters who responded with yells of "Long live PPP!" and "We are ready to support PPP".

Another campaigner, Hussein Umar, fired up the crowd by speaking on economic monopolies. He said the PPP would fight for an antimonopoly law to stop conglomerates gobbling up industries which should belong to small business.

He said people should be able to judge the government by its handling of the notorious escape Eddy Tansil, whose "collusion with several government officials" had cost the state US$620 million.

"This proves we haven't yet got clean governance. So let's fight for the PPP to get us it," he said.

In a televised discussion yesterday, the PPP said the government should take all necessary measures to prevent violence against Indonesian women working abroad.

Party deputy chairwoman Aisyah Aminy said the party was concerned about the women workers abroad who "often experienced inhumane treatment such as suspended salaries and sexual harassment".

"If we cannot stop sending women workers abroad, at least something should be done. We should have tighter selection processes, including criteria such as a minimal skills requirement," Aisyah said.

A "workers protection command post" should be established in every Indonesian embassy to facilitate communication between the workers and the government, she said.

Aisyah said the PPP would fight for tougher laws against rapists, who had been punished lightly under the Criminal Code.

"It's an injustice against the victims who have to suffer for the rest of their lives," she said. (aan/30/37)