Soeharto renews warning on election boycotters

Soeharto renews warning on election boycotters

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto acknowledged yesterday that
voting was not mandatory but warned that people who incited
others to boycott the election would be punished.

Every citizen is free to vote or not to vote but no one may
prevent others from exercising their right, Soeharto said during
a visit to Sigli, Aceh.

"We won't hesitate to take punitive action against people that
prevent others from going to the polls," he said in a meeting
with Sigli village leaders.

The President's comments come amid reports of anonymous
campaigns encouraging people to boycott the upcoming election.

The dominant Golkar organization, the United Development Party
(PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) will contest 425
of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives.

The general election will be followed by the presidential
election in March 1998 in the People's Consultative Assembly.
Many observers believe Soeharto will be re-elected.

Soeharto said he had learned some people were not going to the
polls and were trying to persuade other to do the same.

"To choose not to vote is their right but if they urge others
to follow suit, punitive measures await them," he said.

Security authorities in various provinces have reported
seizing anonymous leaflets that urged people to boycott the May
general election.

The unrecognized Indonesian Democratic Union Party has openly
called for a boycott. Its chairman, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, and
another two activists have been detained and charged with
subversion.

Last week, police in Bogor said they had seized 70 leaflets
calling for people to boycott the general election. They summoned
an Independent Election Monitoring Committee activist in
connection with the pamphlets. The activist denied being involved
in their production.

President Soeharto, who is also the supreme Armed Forces
commander, threatened to take harsh action against anyone caught
disrupting the general election process, including ballot
counting at polling booths.

"Never stand in the way of people who want to exercise their
right to vote, or face punishment," the President said.

The government has set up alert centers across the country to
deal with security disturbances. Soeharto advised the public to
make use of them during the election campaign.

"Never take the law into your own hands," he said.

Some political activists sympathetic to the ousted PDI leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri have also threatened to boycott the
election unless she is reinstated.

Megawati, former president Sukarno's eldest daughter, was
toppled in a government-sanctioned rebel congress in Medan last
June. She was replaced by Soerjadi but she sticks to her claim
that she remains the party's legitimate chief.

When hosting the party's 24th anniversary at her residence in
January, she called on her supporters to exercise their rights to
go to the polls.

Accompanying the President during the visit to Aceh were among
others Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Religious
Affairs Tarmizi Taher, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
and Aceh Governor Syamsuddin Machmud. (pan)

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