Wahono laments political parties empty promises

Wahono laments political parties empty promises

JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Wahono said yesterday political
parties had exploited the public during the election campaign.

Wahono said in a speech which marked the opening of the House
of Representatives' final sessions for the 1992-1997 term, that
rampant exploitation of the public was "the most tragic defiance
of democracy" because the election campaign was not a forum for
empty talk.

"In order to get huge public support, all parties vowed to
promote poverty alleviation, housing development that didn't
require demolishing other houses first, education and health
improvement," Wahono said.

"Campaigning should not have become a forum where you made
promises just like that," he said.

House of Representatives' members resumed work yesterday after
a recess that began April 17. The legislators will have to
complete deliberations on eight bills before their five-year term
ends on Sept. 30.

Wahono said that now the election was over, the parties bore
the responsibility of fulfilling their promises.

"It's not that difficult to make the promises come true
because we have a lot of opportunity to do so," he said.

Golkar, as expected, emerged the election's runaway winner
with more than 74 percent of the vote, followed by the United
Development Party (PPP) which took 23 percent, and the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) 3 percent.

Wahono questioned the quality of the election on grounds that
it had failed to help the nation mature politically.

"Election quality can be seen in the dedication of election
organizers and the quality of political parties and their
supporters," Wahono said.

Both PPP and PDI have cried foul over voting in some parts of
the country, accusing local election organizers of violations
ranging from administrative irregularities to crimes. They said
the violations took place at all stages of the election process.
Their protests peaked in their tentative decision not to approve
the poll results.

Wahono said that party supporters' destructive and radical
behavior during the election campaign was another example of
political immaturity.

"In order to have a quality election the processes should be
carried out in line with our commitment to national unity ...
which should be maintained in connection with reactions to the
election results," he said, in reference to the PPP and PDI
threat to reject the election results in protest of the alleged
violations.

He said the election outcome would result in the distribution
of House seats, which heavily favors Golkar.

"All efforts to change the internal House rules should be
appreciated, but decision making processes should stick to the
principle of 'deliberation for consensus' despite the imbalance
in seat distribution," he said.

Wahono lamented the fact that the general election, the sixth
under the New Order, was tarnished by riots, but refused to blame
the public for spreading mass violence and terrorism.

"It has drawn our deep concern and forced us to use our common
sense to find the root of the problem," he said.

More than 200 people were killed in riots and accidents during
the campaign which preceded the May 29 election.

Wahono said the campaign failed to serve as a means of
political education and suggested the government change the
election rules to help the election campaign run smoothly without
sacrificing public enthusiasm.

"Recent events should teach us a lesson ... how far have the
current political structure and culture accommodated people and
led them to political maturity," he said.

"Now it's time for national contemplation, for us to review
our efforts toward building our national identity," he said.

Wahono said that violence would not have prevailed if
political openness had received a boost and everybody refrained
from arrogant behavior.

"We warned earlier that arrogance was dangerous, especially
that on the part of the bureaucracy," Wahono said.

He said the House was responsible for relaying people's
expectations to government officials. People's expressions could
be delivered through formal procedures or emerge in the form of
conflict, he said.

"We need to identify what people really want in their various
expressions, deliberate on them and relay it to the bureaucrats,"
he said.

He called on legislators to dedicate themselves to the people
they represented to alleviate criticism that House legislators
merely rubber-stamped the government's policies. (amd)