The 'White Group' in election

The 'White Group' in election

Unlike the other contestants in the upcoming general election
there is no formal organization to accommodate Golput (the "White
Group", or group of non-voters). It does not have a board, nor
does it have any rules. Nevertheless, the name Golput comes to
the surface and casts its shadow every time general elections are
to be held. Golput is like a fourth contesting party besides the
United Development Party, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic
Party.

As the upcoming general election draws near, the Golput
phenomenon can again be felt. In Malang, recently, findings of a
poll made by a group of youth activists showed that many young
people may be voting Golput. Aside from the question of the
validity of the findings, this is a phenomenon that deserves our
attention.

In other cities, particularly in West Java, leaflets have been
circulated by groups which openly encourage people not to use
their voting right in the upcoming election. A number of students
in Semarang and Purwokerto were taken to court on charges of
having circulated leaflets encouraging people to vote Golput.

Legally, Golput is not prohibited since voting is a right, not
an obligation, of citizens. What is prohibited is asking people
not to use their right to vote, and particularly to encourage
people to boycott the election.

A general election cannot be viewed as a mere ritual where
people make their choice among three contestants. A general
election must be seen as the beginning of a long process to
determine the conduct of government. The general elections lead
to the nomination of the people's representatives in the House of
Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The highest institution of state, which is the MPR, then
elects the nation's President and Vice President and delineates
the Broad Outlines of State Policy. The President, being the
bearer of the MPR's mandate, runs the government in accordance
with the directives given by the Broad Outlines of State Policy,
assisted by the Vice President and the ministers of the cabinet.

Whenever it concerns the interest of the country, we should
not talk about rights and obligations on a narrow basis. Even if
voting is not a legal obligation, it is nevertheless a moral one.
The reasoning behind this logic is simple. If a person is
unwilling to cooperate in so small and costless a task as voting
in the general elections, what would they do if a larger task was
at hand?

Those who chose to vote Golput have their own argument. In
their view, none of the three contestants -- PPP, Golkar and PDI
-- is worth voting for. In this case, however, no such simple
yardstick can be used. After all, everything in this world is
relative.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta