Students unite to push for free, fair polls

JAKARTA (JP): Student groups proclaimed on Friday their common platform in the need to ensure a free and fair general election, after the diversity of their demands since Soeharto stepped down from the presidency last May.

In a discussion held at the National Library on Friday, representatives of several student groups also agreed to hold intensive talks, with results to be submitted to decision-makers in the government and House of Representatives.

Represented in the discussion were the Association of Muslim Students, University of Indonesia, Bandung Institute of Technology, City Forum, the Association of Muslim University Students, the Communication Forum For Greater Jakarta Student Senates and Gadjah Mada University.

Three hundred students, mostly from Jakarta, attended the event organized by the Muslim Student Action Union.

On Wednesday, 18 student groups, including several which attended Friday's function, said their movement would continue to keep a watch on the reform agenda. They said the public should not fall into the trap of assuming the running of the general election could be trusted. They claimed the current deliberations of political bills were not democratic.

In early 1998, students across the country demonstrated for months to topple Soeharto, held up as the source of the country's ills. After his resignation, however, student groups often proclaimed diverse and contradictory demands.

City Forum insisted on toppling Habibie's government, but the Muslim Student Action Union said Habibie should be allowed to stay in office for at least one term.

Although students have said they do not recognize a leader, participants said a degree of unity was important in fighting for a common cause.

Sa'an Mustofa of the Association of Muslim University Students said students had to develop the issue of a fair election "to end today's political uncertainty". Fair polls would curb resentment and grievances of many parties, he added.

"The New Order regime has been trying to come back on the national political scene by exploiting today's political uncertainty, and a fair poll is the effective way to stop this maneuver."

Subiantoro of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University said another aim was the empowerment of society, including through transferring knowledge to farmers and supporting workers whose rights were violated.

Adian from City Forum said the group stood behind its demand for a national people's committee to replace the current government.

City Forum is among the groups claiming Habibie's government is not legitimate because it is a remnant of the New Order regime.

Other students considered the idea unrealistic.

"Such a committee is difficult to set up since it is hard to determine members who represent all Indonesians, and their supporters would not be clearly defined, either," Vijaya of the Bandung Institute of Technology said. (01)