Karanganyar, NU Online
In order to succeed the general elections in 2014 ahead, Habib Syech Abdul Qadir bin Assegaf urged people not to be abstainers (golput).<>

"I advised all congregations (attendees), let's succeed the elections by not being abstainers and use our right to vote as well as possible," said Habib Syech in front of some 10,000 attendees in the police square of Karanganyar, Central Java, on Tuesday (11/3). 

Habib Syech specifically did not give instructions to vote and support certain parties, either in the legislative elections and the upcoming presidential election. 

"Please pilgrims choose the party or president in accordance with your own principles and conscience, but most importantly never be abstainers," he said.

Separately, National deputy coordinator of the People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) Masykuruddin Hafidz urged all Indonesian citizens who are eligible to exercise their right to vote and not become golput or abstainers in the 2014 elections.

He said that abstaining was the same as throwing away the people’s money.

"The state has spent trillions to prepare for the legislative elections. Not exercising your right is the same as wasting that money, which came from taxpayers,” said Masykur in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to him, the state was trillions away if public participation in the elections was low.

Masykur argued that increased turnout improved the chances of electing candidates with integrity to take seats in the House of Representatives. He said high turnout reduced the likelihood for candidates with poor track records to be chosen to represent the people.

“The nation’s dream of change would best be started by voting in the good people, not by abstaining,” he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

Masykur added that the public should also acknowledge that preparations for the elections have been relatively smooth, even if there were still shortcomings.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq