Youth group demands govt review election regulations
Youth group demands govt review election regulations
JAKARTA (JP): A youth organization demanded yesterday that the
government review election rules which repressed its critics.
The FKGMNU youth wing of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama
Moslem organization said the election system was "unfair" and
"undemocratic".
Members of the wing went to the National Commission on Human
Rights to urge it to join forces to fight for democracy.
About 20 youths met commission members Clementino Dos Reis
Amaral, Soegiri and Moh. Salim
The youths said the electoral system failed because of a
package of five political laws which were often criticized for
hampering democracy.
They youths said the government's bias toward Golkar over the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PPP) and the United Development
Party (PPP) must stop.
"The 1997 election is in process and there have been practices
which hamper democratization," they said in a petition presented
to the commission.
The youths said democracy's biggest hurdles were the tight
rules governing political parties, the government's
discrimination against the PPP and PDI and excessive mobilization
of people to support Golkar.
"This shows the political elite's arrogance. The recent series
of violence shows people's frustration over it," the petition
said.
The youths said the election could lose credibility because it
might not reflect people's sovereignty and stop people exercising
their basic rights.
The government could lose public trust, they said.
One of the youths, N. Adrian, told the commission that people
did not know whether Megawati Soekarnoputri's faction or
Soerjadi's faction was eligible to run for the election.
The government recognizes Soerjadi as the PDI's leader after
he ousted Megawati in a government-backed rebel party congress
last June.
"What if the appeal court decides in favor of Megawati? If it
does, should we start the election all over again?" he said.
Adrian was referring to the lawsuits that Megawati has
launched since losing her leadership at the congress in Medan,
North Sumatra.
Among the lawsuits, is a case against the government for
backing the Medan congress. Megawati lost this case but has
appealed to the high court here.
Megawati and her supporters are also suing over Soerjadi's
supporters brutal attack on the party's headquarters on July 27,
1996.
The attack triggered riots in Jakarta that left at least five
people dead, 23 missing and scores of buildings and vehicles
burned.
On the petition, Clementino said the commission had asked the
government to act as a "fair and just referee". (aan)