Soldiers told to stay neutral in elections

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo urged the public and political parties on Friday to report any election-related violations committed by Army personnel and officers.

During a visit to observe the local military's preparations for the elections in the province, Subagyo said the Indonesian Military (TNI) was ordered to maintain its neutrality and make the June 7 general election a success.

"Inform me if there are any Army personnel and officers who violate the general election law, discriminate against certain parties or intimidate and force people to vote for certain parties," Subagyo said.

He also warned active military personnel against joining political parties and voting in the elections because they would face not only heavy legal punishment, but also sanctions from their corps.

The military is not entitled to vote, but it is reserved 38 seats in the House of Representatives.

Subagyo renewed his order to all Army personnel across the country to help create a conducive climate for a free and fair general election.

"Our duty is to maintain security and order before and after the elections and give a feeling of safety among the people," he told about 500 infantrymen of the Nusa Tenggara military. Governor Harun Al Rasyid also attended.

Subagyo said all forces in the TNI pledged not to take sides with any political party in order to ensure the elections were run in a democratic, free and fair manner.

"Therefore, all Army personnel, including Army officials in military districts and commands across the country, must maintain self-control and harmony with the people and all political parties," he said.

TNI has a historical tie with the ruling Golkar Party, with the former being one of three founders of the party in the early 1960s. Although it was not done explicitly, the military tendered support for Golkar in the six elections held under the New Order.

Subagyo also urged political parties contesting the elections to conduct themselves in an honest and democratic manner because the elections were held to serve national interests.

"Parties contesting the elections should comply with the rules of game. Parties losing in the elections should voluntarily accept their losses and recognize the winning party for the sake of the nation," he said.

Fees

In Jakarta, the National Elections Committee (PPI) set up on Friday a team which will be assigned to calculate reasonable daily fees for voter registration officials.

PPI chairman Jacob Tobing said the team proposed that each official would receive Rp 12,000 (US$1.40) per day. There are about 2.5 million officials nationwide; with each of them working 20 days, PPI would have to spend Rp 600 billion for the officials' fees.

Jacob said the committee so far applied the old standard of remuneration, which he said was no more than Rp 100. He added that many of the officials volunteered due to the lack of funds.

"In the past, the election committee recruited civil servants and gave them extra fees which was not that much. But now the recruits are laborers, private workers and farmers who have to sacrifice their time and money," Jacob said.

In a related development, Jacob said the PPI would ask the government to declare state-owned plantation workers free to make their voting choices.

"We have received reports that certain ministers have mobilized plantation workers and forbidden certain political parties from entering the plantation areas," Jacob of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said.

Jacob said President B.J. Habibie promised him in a meeting on Thursday that he would reprimand any ministers involved.

In Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Antara reported that most of 30,000 ethnic Madurese seeking refuge from recent communal clashes have yet to register themselves with the local election committee officials.

"No election committee official has come here to register us," a woman refugee, Marsiah, 45, of Pemangkat subdistrict said in a refugee center set up at Pangsuma sports hall.

Chairman of the provincial election committee, Hubertus Tekuwaan Oevang Oeray, recently said his office registered Sambas refugees. He said their votes would be collected in ballot boxes to sent to their respective camps on June 7. (edt/rms)