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