Prayers held for campaign

Sat, 26 Apr 1997, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

JAKARTA (JP): Party leaders, government officials and
religious figures joined in prayers yesterday for a successful
election campaign.

Head of the Indonesian Moslem Ulemas Council Hasan Basri led
the prayers, which called for peace during the electioneering
that kicks off tomorrow and ends on May 23.

"May God guide us. We sincerely hope that the election
campaigns will be smooth and safe," said Basri before beginning
the prayers.

The United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) will vie for 425 seats in the House of
Representatives in the May 29 election.

Present at the prayers were PPP chief Ismail Hasan Metareum,
Golkar's Harmoko, government-recognized PDI's Soerjadi, Minister
of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and election institute
officials.

The prayers, the first to be held in the history of Indonesian
elections, were followed by Yogie ceremoniously cutting the tip
of a rice cone and giving a piece to each of the party chiefs.

Yogie said Indonesia prayed for smooth and successful election
campaigns. Quoting a verse from the holy Koran, he said God hates
people who adore violence.

"Avoid clashes during the election campaigning," he said.

This year's election, the sixth during the New Order
government under President Soeharto, has been preluded by clashes
among supporters of the rival parties in Central Java.

Ethnic and religiously-motivated riots in Java and West
Kalimantan as well as the politically-motivated riot in Jakarta
on July 27, 1996 have been widely believed to reflect growing
public discontent of the government.

The unrest is feared to reoccur, especially during the
campaigns even though the government has tightened electioneering
rules, including banning street rallies and exploiting sensitive
issues like religion and ethnicity.

Yogie vowed yesterday that the government would act as an
impartial "referee" for the election and abide by every law
pertaining to the poll that officials have dubbed a "fiesta of
democracy".

Ismail Hasan said he was grateful the government had finally
accommodated his party's demands and adjusted the campaigning
rules accordingly.

"I hope that the government and contestants honor every rule
of the game which has been agreed upon. Don't do anything that is
clearly unnecessary," he said.

The Moslem-oriented PPP has been an ardent critic of the
election rules set by the government, which backs Golkar. PDI
also had reservations concerning the electioneering rules.

Among the clauses of the guidelines under fire were the
authorization of the government to screen campaign speeches, to
pick moderators for the broadcast of public debates by state-
owned television station TVRI and radio RRI, and the complicated
procedures to gain police approval to hold rallies.

The regulations had been adjusted in accordance with the
party's demands earlier this month. PDI and PPP officials have
threatened to stop campaigning if the government gives too much
support to Golkar.

Ismail said his party currently did not have "significant
complaints" over the campaigning rules.

"We are ready to fight in the general election as our
complaints over the election guidelines have been positively
responded," he said.

But he did raise concern over what he called the government's
unfair treatment of PPP (and PDI). In East Java, he said, the
police demanded the parties inform the authorities on details
such as how many people would attend a campaign.

Harmoko stressed that supporters of all contesting parties
should put the spirit of togetherness above everything else.

"Golkar will focus on working programs, not the number of
people attending a campaign," he said.

Golkar has prepared a guideline in which supporters are
expected to maintain peace and order, he said. "We make it clear
that stirring up trouble is a crime."

Soerjadi, saying he was not prepared to give a speech,
stressed on the need for the government and contestants to abide
by the rules of the game. (imn/pan)