Transmigrants must have right to vote freely: PPP

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)