PWRI's stance on political bill

PWRI's stance on political bill

From Media Indonesia

In connection with the ongoing deliberations of the political
bills in the House of People's Representatives (DPR), the Central
Board of the Association of Civil Service Pensioners of the
Republic of Indonesia (PWRI), whose membership comprises
pensioners from the civil service and state-owned enterprises
across the country, along with the leadership of pensioners'
organizations in ministries, nonministerial government
institutions and the secretariats of the state's high
institutions, feel the need to voice our aspirations in order to
help make successful a direct, general, free, confidential,
honest and fair general election.

We all know that a citizen opting to serve as a civil servant
is fully aware of his rights and obligations as well as the
restrictions applicable to him in accordance with his position.

On the basis of this fact and with account being taken of the
human rights of civil servants, allow us to convey our opinions
as follows:
1. Civil servants must not be allowed to be members of political
parties and/or members of the executive boards of political
parties, in accordance with the principle set forth in the bill
on political parties that the government has tabled to the DPR.

This opinion is based on experiences gained during the Old
Order era to the effect that civil servants joining political
parties as members and/or members of their executive boards were
inclined to break the unity of the bureaucratic ranks as they
were divided into groups embroiled in various conflicts brought
about by political interests. In this way the bureaucratic ranks
could neither adopt a neutral stance nor concentrate on public
services, of which community members have until now frequently
lodged their complaints. This condition makes it more likely that
the general election will not be held honestly, fairly or
transparently.
2. If civil servants are eager to enter the political arena, they
may apply for an unpaid leave. If they decide to return to their
jobs, they can simply return to the government agencies they
belong to. In this way, they will not have their political rights
curtailed.
3. In addition, to guarantee their political and human rights,
civil servants should be allowed to freely exercise their
franchise in the general election in accordance with their own
beliefs.

If Golkar, under various pretexts, persists in its stance of
"freely allowing" civil servants to be members of political
parties and/or members of executive boards of political parties,
and goes so far as preparing to vote on this matter in spite of
the fact that it is alone against the other three factions in the
House plus the government, this simply means that Golkar will
resort to the dictatorship of the majority, an act which it has
always pledged to avoid in order to uphold Pancasila-based
democracy.

This is the stance adopted by the central governing board of
PWRI with respect to the political bills now being deliberated in
the DPR.

WARSITO PUSPOYO

General Chairman

HANAFI

Secretary-General

PWRI, Jakarta