TNI, Police's rights

TNI, Police's rights

From Rakyat Merdeka

Polemics on the pros and cons of whether or not the military
and the police should be able to enjoy their voting rights have
taken a great portion of space in the mass media but,
unfortunately, they have not touched upon which party -- the
executive or the legislative branch of power -- had inserted this
matter in the final version of the bill on political parties.

Or, perhaps, this item has been inserted upon the request of a
particular foreign country. Or, again, perhaps this is only a
ruse employed by certain quarters to discover public opinion on
this matter.

Regardless of who has taken the initiative to insert this item
in the bill on political parties, this franchise is a universal
human right and every citizen is entitled to it. In fact, it
should have been applied as soon as the 1945 Constitution was
enacted.

In countries where democracy is more advanced, civilian
bureaucracy and the military and police as citizens form part of
the floating mass. These groups of people do not enjoy any
privilege in this respect. In these countries, government
officials are not worried that political parties, which vie with
one another to win the hearts of this floating mass, will break
up the military or police institutions.

It must be remembered that involving the public in debates
over this matter is tantamount to bringing the country back to
19th century.

SUNGKOWO SOKAWERA

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