Transmigrants must have right to vote freely: PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) faction has claimed that resettlers in 3,600 transmigration sites across Indonesia have been pressured to vote for Golkar party.

The faction's spokesperson, Madiniyah Kewusnendar, yesterday asked the government to guarantee transmigrants' freedom to exercise their voting rights in the general election.

Speaking in a House of Representatives' plenary session to pass the government-sponsored bill on transmigration, Madiniyah said many people have been directed and forced, either covertly or overtly, to choose a "certain political group" (in an obvious reference to Golkar) after resettlement.

"They (the transmigrants) voluntarily picked their own political affiliations before they arrived at their new residence. The government must let them maintain their belief," Madiniyah said.

The PPP was commenting on a number of government officials who expanded their visits to transmigration areas to support Golkar's programs.

"The general election is a 'fiesta of democracy' which should receive an ebullient welcome from everybody. It's time to give the transmigrants freedom to convey their political aspirations," Madiniyah said.

"The various colors of green, yellow and red have formed the rainbow of Pancasila democracy everybody must respect," she added. Green is the color of PPP, Golkar is yellow while the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)'s color is red.

The election will be held on May 29.

The House's endorsement of the transmigration bill ended three months and nine days of deliberations since the government submitted the proposal to replace the 1972 Transmigration Law last January.

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo told a post- session press conference that the government has given equal opportunities to the three political parties to introduce their programs.

"Transmigration areas are always open to all poll contestants," Siswono said.

"I'm a minister and member of Golkar's board of patrons. The transmigrants do nothing wrong if they decide to affiliate themselves to Golkar only because they like their minister," he said.

Siswono said migrants, who had sought refuge after the ethnic riots in several transmigration sites in West Kalimantan, had left their shelter.

Most of the estimated 20,000 Madurese refugees had returned to their houses in the province, he said.

Some 100 families, or about 500 people, opted to move to other transmigration areas in the province. Fifty-five families of 250 Madurese went to South Sumatra and 17 families of 90 people preferred Irian Jaya.

Only 110 families comprising some 600 people left the province for their home of Madura in East Java.

Siswono said new transmigrants would fill the houses and plots left vacant by the Madurese.

"The riots will be the last to happen in the country," Siswono said.

Sporadic riots have rocked the province from late December to early last month, pitting Madurese migrants against native Dayaks.

Siswono said the riots affected seven of the province's 264 transmigration areas and killed 26 Madurese migrants.

"The small number of areas affected shows that in general indigenous people and migrants live in harmony. There were many Dayaks helping Madurese when the riots broke out," said Siswono. (amd)