Suharto urges voters to polls

Press, 3 May 1977, Page 8

Suharto urges voters to polls

NZPA-Reuter Jakarta Indonesians went to the polls yesterday for the third Time in 31 years of indepen-, : deuce with tight security in force throughout the vast archipelago. In a national radio and television address on Sunday: night, President Suharto urged his fellow-countrymen to exercise their voting [rights as a “noble duty.” I The President said that I voting would be free from [pressure by anyone, and.; [pledged to hold elections; I every five years tn accordlance with the Constitution. I' Two of the three General; Elections in the country’s post-colonial history have been called under the Presidency of General Suharto.| [who was elected to the highlest State office after having [crushed a Communist coup attempt in 1965. i Some 71 million of the : 135 million population are [eligible to vote, but voting lis not comnulsory. l.iev will elect 360 mem[bers of the central Parliaiment as well as thousands: of representatives for regio-' I nal and provincial legislative assemblies. Tight security measures

had been put into effect, with the police, militia, and!’ [ the regular army on stand-: ! by. Some armoured person-! nel carriers were seen in the i streets of Jakarta early; yesterday morning, but se-' curity forces were generally ; keeping a low profile. ! Polling took place at; almost 290,000 stations,: many of them in the open 1 ; air, between 8 a.m. and 2 pm. Balloting and vote- [ counting procedures wereh [watched and verified by wit-[[ [nesses under oath. The final result will not be[[ known for several days, pos-i isibly weeks, because of the' 'vastness of the archipelago; l which stretches more than|: 5150 km (3200 miles) from! 1 east to west. In the 1971 General Elec-L tion. which was contested byi. 10 parties, the ruling Func-'l tional Groups (Golkar) cap-!, tured 236 of the 360 open[ seats in the central Parlia-t ment. ' Moslem parties, this time 1 united under the banner of, l the strictly Islamic United;! Development Party, won 94!t 'seats, and 30 seats went to t Christian and Nationalist If groups now merged into the! I Democratic Party. 1