People told to elect better leaders in 2004 election<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Deviating from routine complaints about the country's poor
\nleaders, experts urged the nation to select better leaders as
\nwill be made possible through the first ever direct presidential
\nelection in 2004.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Mulyana W. Kusumah said it was high time for
\nIndonesians to become critical voters and choose only leaders of
\nquality and virtue.<\/p>\n
\"Many voters are already critical and do not base their
\npolitical choices on ethnic or community ties,\" Mulyana said over
\nthe weekend.<\/p>\n
A direct presidential election, he said, should be able to
\nfilter out leaders who do not live up to the people's
\nexpectations.<\/p>\n
Would-be leaders should undergo a rigid selection process from
\nthe political parties that nominate them before they face public
\nscrutiny, said General Election Commission (KPU) secretary-
\ngeneral Mulyana.<\/p>\n
The 2004 General Election is expected to let voters choose
\ntheir president and vice president directly, to replace the old
\npractice which mandated an election by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Under the present electoral system, political parties that win
\na House of Representatives (DPR) seat in the general election may
\nnominate a presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Last year, the MPR installed the unlikely partnership of
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri of the nationalist Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) and the Muslim-
\nbased United Development Party's (PPP) Vice President Hamzah Haz,
\nwho in 1999 opposed the idea of having a female president.<\/p>\n
After nearly a year, both leaders have come under fire for
\ntheir leadership styles.<\/p>\n
Analysts questioned Megawati's persistent reluctance to speak
\nto the public and media -- a sign they say shows her ineptness in
\ndealing with the public.<\/p>\n
Hamzah has been criticized for mixing his presidential post
\nwith his PPP's chairmanship. Political opponents have accused him
\nof making overtures to Islamic hard-liners to win their support
\nearly on for the 2004 General Election.<\/p>\n
Last week noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid warned that
\nIndonesia's leaders were edging toward moral bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
According to him, lousy work ethics and corruption are the
\nnorm among Indonesian leaders, and that has to change.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said through direct presidential elections, candidates
\nmust show the public a clean and credible track record.<\/p>\n
\"The criteria should list candidates' background, what
\npositions they once held and how they performed.\"<\/p>\n
To ensure that candidates were acceptable, he said, the KPU
\ncould announce the names ahead of the election race to test the
\npublic's response.<\/p>\n
This way, he said, the public could eliminate questionable
\ncandidates providing they had substantiated charges.<\/p>\n
Another advantage of having a direct presidential elections is
\nthat it strengthened leaders' legitimacy while promoting greater
\npublic participation in politics.<\/p>\n
\"The elected president can expect to enjoy broader political
\nsupport from the people, which will make the government also more
\nstable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rector of the Jakarta-based Islamic University, Azyumardi Azra
\nsaid that candidates should also have their visions and plans
\ntested before the public.<\/p>\n
\"Next to testing their credibility we also need to review
\ntheir plan for the nation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He was also convinced that Indonesian voters were mature
\nenough to distinguish candidates by their quality and not their
\npolitical affiliation.<\/p>\n
\"If anything, it's the political elite who aren't ready.\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He further suggested the direct election process be extended
\nto the election of legislators.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want obscure individuals representing us,\" he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/people-told-to-elect-better-leaders-in-2004-election-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }