Soldiers told to stay neutral in elections

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)