Students unite to push for free, fair polls

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)