Prayers held for campaign

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)

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