Wahono calls for fair competition in general election

JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Wahono closed yesterday the House of Representatives' penultimate season with a call for fair competition in the general election.

Wahono said the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) should be committed to the people. This would help prevent unfair competition, he said.

The political parties should seek to canvass votes by presenting programs which are rational and persuasive, and not rely on campaigns to evoke people's emotions, he said.

"Through a commitment to the people, it is expected that the election contestants, when they campaign to attract voters' sympathy, will avoid unfair competition or suspicion of one another," Wahono said.

The general election this year is strategic because it is expected to gauge the people's increasingly diverse political aspirations, which is sometimes marked by sharp criticism of certain parties, he said.

The election will be held on May 29, five days after the cooling off week following 27 days of electioneering. The election campaign will begin on April 27.

The Moslem-based PPP, the dominant Golkar and the Christian- nationalist alliance PDI will vie for 425 of 500 House seats in the election.

"Let's cultivate people's trust and show the world our ability to live as an honorable and cultured nation and state through this year's election," Wahono said.

He added the House of Representatives was pressured due to the rapid social changes and "the behavior" of state agencies as well as tension arising from the relationship between the agencies and the public.

"(Those experiences) become a historical note of how staunchly the House has been upholding its constitutional commitment," Wahono said.

"The pressure of political upheavals in the face of (national leadership) succession were all a burden of history (which testified) how important the position of national leaders in our order were," he said.

He added the House has always voiced people's aspirations on the republic and the New Order administration. "(The aspiration) is a grand correction to bring (the country) on the right track in accordance with the 1945 Constitution," he said.

A true measure of the House's performance is its consistent upholding of the constitution, Wahono said.

"The dignity of the House lies in our seriousness in voicing our constituents' aspirations," he said.

Wahono also said yesterday that during the just ended session, the House passed 18 bills. It will finish the deliberation of another eight bills in the next session to begin July 7. (aan/amd)