Jakarta – Scores of demonstrators calling themselves Indonesia without Militarism held another demonstration in front of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Jl. Imam Bonjol in the Central Jakarta district of Menteng on Monday July 7.
The group said that the KPU, as the organiser of the 2014 elections, was negligent in declaring Prabowo Subianto as a presidential candidate because the KPU failed to take into account allegations of his involvement in the abduction of activists in 1997-98. “The KPU must be held accountable for this”, asserted action coordinator Surya.
During breaks in the action, the demonstrators also held up posters with the message, “Presidential candidate Prabowo: Return our friends to us (Mawar tragedy 08)”.
According to the group, the 2014 elections should be a milestone for the continued consolidation of democracy that will see Indonesia become a country that is prosperous, just and dignified in accordance with the 1945 Constitution. Indonesia as a country has had enough of the experience of living in darkness under the shadow of former President Suharto’s New Order and militarism.
“Thirty-two years of New Order and militarism created a hegemony over the entire political and legal system resulting in Indonesia languishing in an abyss of cultural desolation. Just look at how easy it was for a person like Prabowo Subianto to establish a [political] party and nominate himself as a presidential candidate pairing up with Hatta Rajasa”, he Surya.
him to allegations of human rights violations that have yet to be fully resolved. He also cited the presence of Prabowo’s agents inside the KPU resulting in the incident in Hong Kong [on July 5] when the KPU sided with one of the candidates, namely Prabowo. “If you’re not voting for No. 1 [Prabowo] don’t bother to enter the polling booth”, said Surya, mimicking the words of one of the rouge KPU commissioners in Hong Kong.
An activist from the Indonesian Cultural Society Union (SeBumi) meanwhile asserted that the 2014 presidential elections represent the consolidation of problematic generals from the New Order. He said that the sins of presidential candidate Prabowo do not need to be mentioned, because his sins are so many. “Who abducted the activists, yes it was Prabowo”, they said.
The activists added that Prabowo’s electoral coalition is a coalition of the New Order. Golkar Party chairperson Aburizal Bakrie is part of the New Order forces. And this demonstrates that fascism is already on the rise. “Do you want to be led by a thug and a gangster”.
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service.]
