RI elections cultural not political, says observer
RI elections cultural not political, says observer
JAKARTA (JP): The general elections over the last three decades have been cultural events rather than political ones, an observer said yesterday.
The once-in-five-years polls' popular sobriquet, fiesta of democracy, explains their essential meaning, Cornelis LAY of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said.
He said that as general elections were regarded as mere fiestas, it implied that every eligible citizen had to take part.
"They become massive and grand events in which everybody must take part and those who stay away will be branded 'strange'", he said.
Indonesia has held general elections six times. The first took place in 1955 during the Sukarno era, and the other five under Soeharto, in 1971, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992.
Cornelis said that with an election only being a cultural event, people cannot expect it to bring about peaceful political changes as they might expect.
"Elections are a peaceful alternative to violent coups d'etat, or revolutions, when people no longer trust their government. It's a mechanism aimed to end degrading political, moral and ethical standards," he said.
In a democratic country, people can force peaceful political change by shifting their support to an opposition party.
However, it can hardly be achieved in Indonesia because its political laws do not allow it to happen, he said.
In a government regulation on elections introduced last December, electioneering is limited to public assemblies, media broadcasts, leaflets, flyers and other printed matter. Street rallies are banned.
The government argues that the regulation is needed to assure a safe and smooth election, free of chaos and disruption.
The policy has been strongly criticized by the United Development Party (PPP), which alleges that it fails to comply with higher laws, restricts public participation, and adversely affects all political groups, especially the PPP.
Cornelis said street rallies and political gatherings, which the government has also banned, would make the election a political event.
The banning of the above activities during the campaign, scheduled for April 27 through May 23, spurred the "color war" involving the three contestants in Central Java.
"If the campaign spirals out of control, it could burst into violence," he warned.
The color war started in January in Surakarta (Solo) when PPP activists repainted objects white in public places that Golkar members had painted yellow, its color.
Indonesian Democratic Party activists joined the war recently. They repainted trees, fences, sidewalks, telegraph poles, zebra crossings red and white that Golkar had colored yellow once again.
In the latest development, PPP cadres in Yogyakarta have been taking to the streets over the past week, a move Cornelis described as blatant electioneering.
"They know such street rallies will soon be banned," he said. (aan)