Former officials, activists urge voters to use their heads<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
A number of former officials of the New Order government,
\nactivists and public figures signed a public statement on Friday
\nurging people to use their critical faculties when voting.<\/p>\n
\"Vote for leaders instead of rulers,\" said the statement,
\nsigned by dozens of well-respected citizens.<\/p>\n
Among them were former home affairs minister Surjadi Soedirja,
\nformer Army deputy chief Lt.Gen.(ret) Kiki Syahnakri, former
\nNational Police chief Gen.(ret) Awaloeddin Djamin, former
\nreligious affairs minister Quraish Shihab. Activists Sulastomo
\nand A. Mubarok, and journalist Rosihan Anwar also signed the
\nstatement.<\/p>\n
\"It is important for us to think rationally when casting our
\nvotes,\" Surjadi said. He urged the public to use their votes on
\nApril 5 to bring about change in the country.<\/p>\n
The drawing up of the statement was initiated by the National
\nIdentity Foundation (Yayasan Jatidiri Bangsa), the Straight Path
\nMovement (Gerakan Jalan Lurus) and the Indonesia Resurrection
\nFront (Barisan Kebangkitan Indonesia Raya).<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday evening, a number of politicians,
\nperformers and academics formed an alliance in the hope of
\nencouraging people to vote for credible leaders in both the
\nlegislative and presidential elections.<\/p>\n
The alliance, named the Alliance for Change, sees itself
\nacting as an opposition group if the elections fail to produce
\nclean and credible leaders. It is calling on the public not to
\nvote for \"rotten politicians or political parties\".<\/p>\n
Among the attendees at the meeting were scholar Nurcholish
\nMadjid, presidential aspirant Siswono Yudo Husodo, former
\nattorney general Marsillam Simanjuntak, former military chief of
\nstaff Lt. Gen. (ret) Agus Widjojo, and former TNI chief Gen.
\n(ret) Eddy Sudrajat, who also leads the Indonesian United Justice
\nParty (PKPI).<\/p>\n
The other attendees included activist Teten Masduki,
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS) leader Hidayat Nur Wahid, National
\nMandate Party (PAN) deputy leader AM Fatwa, and noted poets and
\ncomposers Emha Ainun Nadjib and Harry Roesli.<\/p>\n
\"This year's elections might be successful in terms of the
\nprocedures, but will not be in terms of substance,\" said
\nNurcholish, who has withdrawn his bid to run as a Golkar Party
\npresidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Thus, in the long term the alliance should think of setting
\nitself up as an opposition grouping, Nurcholish said, to protect
\nthe country from leaders \"who will bring us to the brink of
\ncollapse.\"<\/p>\n
The alliance should also support promising coalitions of
\nparties, he added.<\/p>",
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