Yellow policy criticized
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)