Rights body urges people to vote

Rights body urges people to vote

JAKARTA: The National Commission on Human Rights urged people
yesterday to participate in May's general election, but has
conceded that voting is voluntary.

The secretary general of the commission, Baharuddin Lopa, said
that voting benefited the development of democracy.

"Under democracy, general elections allow people to choose
their own representatives," Lopa said.

"People who abstain will not be prosecuted, unless they
persuade others to do likewise," he told members of the Center
for Political Research and People's Advocacy (Puspipam).

Lopa said voting was not legally obligatory.

About 30 of Puspipam's members yesterday protested official's
claims that voting was compulsory.

Puspipam states that general elections accommodated people's
right to choose their own representatives.

"The rights, including the right not to vote, should be
respected," the statement said.

They said officials were inclined to claim that voting is an
obligation and that those who abstain are irresponsible.

"People can be manipulated, when voting is compulsory, and it
is easy for human rights violations to occur," the statement
said. (05)