Soeharto sets May 29 election date

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has set Thursday, May 29, as next year's general election day.

Voting will take place simultaneously throughout the country on that day, the General Elections Institute announced yesterday.

The decision, contained in Presidential Decree no. 86/1996, shattered the demands of the two minority parties -- the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- for the election be held on a Sunday, or a holiday.

The two minority parties had said declaring election day a holiday would not only ensure that more people went to the polling booths, but that it would also prevent the cheating and intimidation that they claim has marred past elections.

The PPP and PDI are contesting the election against Golkar, which has won all five general elections held under Soeharto, with huge margins.

The government earlier announced the election campaign period will be between April 29 and May 23. This will be followed by a five day cooling off period.

The election will determine the composition of the 500-strong House of Representatives (DPR), as well the provincial and municipal legislative councils. At the national level, 425 of the 500 DPR seats are stake. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.

The General Election Institute is currently evaluating lists of candidates from the three competing political groupings. The process includes screening out candidates who may have past communist links.

The election will be followed by the presidential election in March 1998 by the 1,000-strong People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which consists of the 500 House members plus 500 people selected to represent people from all walks of life. (imn)