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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