Palu – The People's Democratic Party (PRD) has said that for the PRD, the 1999 election campaign is not just about getting votes. What was more important for the PRD was to providing political education to the people to increase their political consciousness.

"The PRD wants to increase the people's consciousness to an understanding that the task is one of total reform and social transition", said PRD chairperson, Budiman Sudjatmiko, in a written speech to the Sulteng regional and city leadership committees on Sunday, March 21.

The speech, written by Budiman from the Cipinang jail in Jakarta, was read by the secretary of PRD Sulteng, M. Maskur, before young 200 PRD cadres and sympathisers.

Budiman said that he was not very optimistic that the election would be honest and fair considering the strength of the bureaucratic machine inherited from New Order regime. The bureaucratic and political machine of the New Order is still intact, something which is of great concern [he said].

"They have been tested over scores of years in manipulating the people's vote. Manipulation of a subtle character, through bribery and what is now known popularly by the term money politics, as well as more direct means of pressure [to force people to vote for a particular party]. We are convinced that an election which is truly honest and fair can only be organised by a transitional government which has been cleansed of elements of the New Order", he said.

According to Budiman, the principle being struggled for by the PRD is a People's Social Democracy, that is an attempt to fight against the exploitation of humanity by humanity.

"To reach this goal we will achieve it by democratic means, which can only be created out through a system of a people's multiparty democracy. Because of this what is required is not just a kind of reformasi but also struggling for just social relationships. We must continue to demand a social transformation in the lives of the Indonesian people so that there is no longer a concentration of wealth in the hands of a small number of people", said Budiman.

Also on Sunday, the chairperson of the West Java regional leadership of the PRD, Bimbin Firman, who was accompanied by his secretary in Bandung, Gandi R. Setyadi, said that a system of parliamentary democracy was an means to prevent the emergence of unlimited presidential powers. [He said] it is natural that such a system be reconsidered after 32 years since the emergence of the Suharto dictatorship which took advantage of the presidential system.

[Translated by James Balowski]