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)