Yogie hopeful about fair and honest election
Yogie hopeful about fair and honest election
JAKARTA (JP): Is the 1997 general election going to be fair and honest? "Insya Allah (God willing)," was the response yesterday from Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M..
That was the furthest Yogie has been willing to go in addressing the demands of the two minority parties -- the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- that the words "honest and fair" be included in the general election rules.
However, the government has already rejected demands to change the electoral rules, saying that the language of the present regulations implies honest and fair elections. The PPP and the PDI, which will again challenge the mighty Golkar in 1997, were not impressed.
To sooth them, Yogie tried to explain his position.
"It is not just up to me, it is also up to the people," Yogie said yesterday when the question was raised during a hearing with Commission II of the House of Representatives to review the current political system.
The minister said the public should not be too skeptical of the coming election. "We haven't even started yet and people are already making all sorts of accusations."
His assertion came a week after he warned that the "political temperature" in Indonesia is rising as the election nears.
The traditionally conservative PPP was the first to draw a battle line when it announced on Monday that it was taking steps to prevent cheating, which, it and the PDI alleged, was blatant during the 1992 and previous elections won by Golkar.
PPP also said that it will sue the government if it fails to live up to its commitment to ensure fair and honest elections.
Five provincial branches of the PPP have threatened to boycott the polls unless the government guarantees a free and honest election.
"Everyone wants the election to be a success. Who wants it to be unfair and dishonest?" Yogie said.
Yogie chalked up the PPP's latest stance to the party's internal affairs.
He pointed out that the PPP representatives on the election committee signed the election results after the votes were counted in 1992. "They shouldn't complain if they signed the election results."
Soeryatna Soebrata, the Ministry's Secretary-General, said at the hearing that party officials should not sign papers if they are not convinced by the vote-counting.
"If they didn't," he added, "this could strengthen their case should they take the government to court."
Yogie said complaints should not be raised after elections held so long ago. "There were no complaints then, why all the fuss now? All the papers were legal, they were signed from the local to the central levels."
He dismissed as unfounded the accusations that Golkar had engaged in veiled election campaigns which contravened the law and that the political group had been rallying students for its "cadre meetings".
He said the cadre, or active member, meetings were valid as long as they complied with the law.
He added that it was natural for political groups to vie for first-time voters, the number of which could reach as many as 24 million in 1997.
He said that Rp 75 billion (US$33 million) has been set aside by the government for the elections.
The commission also bombarded Yogie with questions about the extravagant construction and purchases of facilities for government officials in the region. They include the distribution of Rp 170-million Pajero Mitsubishi jeeps to the governor and regency chiefs in South Sulawesi, the Rp 7-billion residence being built for the Central Java governor, and the Bekasi regency chief's Rp 1-billion swimming pool.
Yogie said these facilities were granted with the approval of the local legislative councils.
The pool was contributed by a group of local businessmen, he said, adding that no government money had been spent on it. (anr)
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