Responsibility of political parties

Responsibility of political parties

In his speech before the United Development Party (PPP) congress on Aug. 29, 1994, President Soeharto emphasized that the program and the personnel of the party's Board of Executives are crucial in determining the progress of national development. The president also stressed that the social political forces should not work only for the benefit of their own members, but they should also have responsibility for state affairs. In other words, they have a share in decision making at the national level.

We have quoted the president's messages because there is an impression that there is no relationship between the activities of the social political organizations and state responsibility as a whole. As a consequence, the social political organizations might oppose the government's policies. This is, of course, the wrong attitude. The government, as a matter of fact, follows the path laid down by the GBHN (Broad Lines of the Sate Policy), and all national forces should be committed to achieving the common goal.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta

President Soeharto said modern democracy is much more complex than the traditional democracy we knew in the past. He said we are still learning to operate the system and must adapt this democracy to the cultural background of our society.

We hope that the participants of the PPP congress are aware of their function as agents of development and grasp a correct understanding of healthy democracy.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta