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