Soeharto urges people to vote

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto urged people yesterday to vote in the May 29 general election, describing it as a once-in-a five-year opportunity to determine the course of the nation's development, including its leadership.

In off-the-cuff remarks made during a meeting with prospective haj pilgrims in Boyolali, Central Java, Soeharto said he was prepared to step down, if that was what the people wanted.

However, he warned that any move to unseat him must be made through the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and that he would "clobber" anyone who tried through unconstitutional means.

Soeharto said that according to the 1945 Constitution, sovereignty lies in the hands of the people, through their elected representatives in the House of Representatives (DPR).

"The election gives people the chance to renew their representatives," he said. "That's why it's imperative that the upcoming election must be held in the best possible way."

People who do not cast their votes, will have no one but themselves to blame, he said. "It's their own fault if they regret it later that they cannot influence the course of development."

His remarks came amid a debate over whether or not it was obligatory for people to vote in the general election.

The latest discussion started when the Bishops Council of Indonesia said in a letter distributed to Roman Catholic churches in Jakarta that not voting was not a sin. The letter was issued in response to questions from members of the church.

While there is no law compelling anyone to vote, a high turnout has always been considered a success for the government.

Turnout in past elections has always exceeded 90 percent of the total registered voters, a remarkable achievement when compared to most other developing countries. Political analysts believe the number of people who do not vote usually reflects the level of discontent with the political system.

This year, 125 million people have been registered as voters in the election that will be contested by the dominant political group Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party.

Soeharto said that by voting, people would determine the composition of the DPR, MPR, the broad outlines of state policy, and a president to implement them.

The outlines of state policy, he said, was the embodiment of the wishes of the people. The elected president is only someone who must carry out these wishes.

"A president should not behave capriciously. If he does, he should be removed and replaced by the MPR."

If the president was deemed to have violated the outlines, then the MPR should convene an extraordinary meeting.

"I'm only carrying out a mandate entrusted by the people. Whatever it is that they want, as stipulated in the outlines, I'll do," Soeharto said.

"But if they consider that I'm not good, then by all means remove me through the MPR. I won't mind. I wont fight it at all.

"If the people want Soeharto to step down, I'll say thank you. I'll accept the decision for the sake of the people and the Constitution.

"But if they do it (by means other than through the MPR), like I said once, I will clobber them because they are violating the Constitution," he said recalling the first time he used the word gebug (clobber) in 1989 to warn anyone contemplating removing him by unconstitutional means.

He used the phrase then on an airplane coming home from Moscow, stepping into the national debate about his succession for the first time.

"If I hear anyone is violating the law, I will clobber them really hard. I won't hesitate to take action against them," he said yesterday, echoing his 1989 words.

Soeharto, who is 75 years old, has not publicly stated his intentions for after his current five-year term -- his sixth -- ends in March 1998. But Golkar has already begun campaigning to have him retained at the helm for another five years.

The President also warned about attempts by certain groups, who refuse to accept the 1945 Constitution and the state ideology Pancasila, to sow instability.

He said stability was imperative for Indonesia to develop and reach its objective of a just and prosperous nation as stated in Pancasila.

"We want both justice and prosperity. If we were only after justice, then it (the solution) would be easy. Let everyone be poor. That is fair.

"Prosperity is something we have to achieve gradually through development." (emb)