Yellow policy criticized

JAKARTA (JP): A high-ranking government official yesterday criticized the Central Java administration's controversial policy that orders the painting of objects in public places in Golkar's color of yellow.

Director General for Social and Political Affairs Sutoyo N.K. expressed his regret at the scheme, which has roused a dispute pitting the Surakarta mayoralty against activists of the United Development Party (PPP) whose party color is green.

"Such problems would have not happened if the Central Java administration had followed the mechanism recommended by the 1974 Law on Regional Government," Sutoyo said.

The criticism made Sutoyo the first top official to take a stance against the policy favoring Golkar, runaway winner in the five general elections held under the New Order administration.

A group of PPP activists in Surakarta triggered an open war against the controversial policy last week by repainting everything yellow to white.

An angry Surakarta Mayor Iman Sutopo threatened the activists with legal action. But PPP persisted, with its Central Java branch deputy secretary Harminto calling Tuesday for a province- wide movement against the policy.

The program, widely known as "yellowization," has intensified in the run-up to May's general election and has been sponsored by the Central Java authorities.

Central Java Governor Soewardi, however, has said that the program contains no political interest but a promotion of the color of the province's bird kepodang, a local name for orial.

"If yellow fits everybody, we will consider a regional regulation to give the policy a legal basis," Soewardi said.

Quoting the 1974 Law, Sutoyo said every local administration has the authority to organize its internal affairs, but it still needs approval from the provincial legislative council.

"The law clearly says local administrations should consult the provincial legislative council before enacting any policies," Sutoyo said.

Golkar, PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) will contest the general election on May 29. A total of 425 seats at the House of Representatives are up for grabs; the remaining 75 will be reserved for members of the Armed Forces who do not vote.

Apart from "yellowization," there are other problems both the PPP and the PDI have repeatedly protested against, including the alleged abuse of state facilities by Golkar. One of the most cited violations is the undue coverage of Golkar activities on state-owned television TVRI.

A member of PDI, Budi Hardjono, slammed the yellowization scheme yesterday as unsympathetic and excessive.

"The policy contradicts remarks made by a Golkar leader that they aim to win through a fair competition," Budi said. "What we are seeing now is allowing the goal to justify the means."

Budi said PDI has as yet no plans to lodge a formal protest to the government over "yellowization," but asked for an end to what he called "forcible coloring."

Authoritarian

Separately, a panel discussion held by the Legal Aid Institute of Yogyakarta's Indonesian Islamic University yesterday concluded that the PPP activists' challenge against forced coloring represented public reaction against an authoritarian local government.

The institute will act for the PPP's Surakarta branch if Mayor Iman insists on bringing the anti-yellowization movement to court.

Riswandha Imawan of Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences said the Central Java government's policy is groundless.

"Had all Central Javanese agreed to the 'yellowization,' protests would have been lodged against the Surakarta's PPP activists," Riswandha said.

He speculated Soewardi had been motivated to initiate the policy after the decline in Golkar's vote in the province in the 1992 election. Golkar's vote in national elections is seen as a measure of success of the local government.

Another speaker, Syafri Sairin, the head of Gadjah Mada University's Center of Cultural and Social Changes Research, said "yellowization is a politicization of color by the authorities."

"Excessive use of power is looming large in our society," Syafri said, adding that the Central Java government should learn from the widespread reaction against the policy. (23/imn/amd)