Presidential platforms<\/p>\n
At present, the nation is witnessing a flurry of political
\nparties, with their presidential hopefuls -- or those who think
\nthey also deserve the seat -- courting running mates for the July
\n5 direct presidential election, or lobbying other parties or
\ngroups in an effort to strengthen their power base to contest the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
As this is the first time the country will experience a direct
\npresidential election, media coverage on candidates is often no
\ndifferent to the way the media covers gossip on celebrities. For
\nsure, the July 5 election will be much more interesting to
\nobserve than the April 5 legislative election.<\/p>\n
Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been the candidate
\nmost quick, compared with other nominees, to select his partner.
\nHis choice is Jusuf Kalla, a respected business tycoon from
\neastern Indonesia and a former coordinating minister of President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri. The general is regarded as Megawati's
\nstrongest contender in the election.<\/p>\n
Realizing that she is in dire need of fresh blood to
\ncompensate for her declining popularity, Megawati has managed to
\npair up with Hasyim Muzadi, the chairman of the country's largest
\nMuslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama. Meanwhile, the Golkar
\nParty candidate, Gen. (ret) Wiranto, as of Sunday afternoon was
\nstill seeking his vice presidential nominee. Other candidates
\ncould still appear by May 12, the registration deadline for
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
We are encouraged by the ongoing democratic selection process.
\nJudging by the largely peaceful and fair legislative election in
\nApril, there are strong grounds to believe that the presidential
\nelection will be democratic and peaceful, too.<\/p>\n
However, we are also concerned that the process so far has
\nfocused mainly on the personalities and not their five-year
\nprograms. There is unlikely to be a significant difference
\nbetween the legislative and presidential election campaigns in
\nterms of an absence of debate on substantive issues. During the
\nlegislative election campaign, political parties rarely talked
\nabout their programs: They preferred to entertain audiences with
\ndangdut rather than dialog.<\/p>\n
At that time, many of the parties argued that they would
\nannounce their comprehensive policy package only when their
\ncandidates ran for the presidency. A major political party even
\nboasted that it had prepared a very detailed program, for both
\nthe short and long term, for its presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
With the start of the presidential election campaign only one
\nmonth away, we have yet to see any effort by candidates to
\ncommunicate with the public or disseminate their vision for the
\nnation. Will we have to wait until the campaigning period next
\nmonth?<\/p>\n
The public has a right to know their platforms with regard to
\nthe economy, education, law enforcement, corruption eradication
\nand poverty alleviation, to mention but a few. People also have
\nthe right to know just how their prospective leader plans to lead
\nthem in the next five years.<\/p>\n
We are of the view that public debate between the candidates
\nis one of the most effective ways for candidates to convey their
\nvision, while for the public, it has the opportunity to compare
\ndirectly one candidate with another. Megawati should decline no
\nlonger to take part in such debates, as she did five years ago.<\/p>\n
It would be a grave insult to the intelligence if presidential
\ncandidates again asked potential supporters simply to sing or
\ndance with them during their campaigns. Without violating the
\nprevailing rules, such as that on premature campaigning, it is
\ntime now for the nominees to face the public and reveal their
\nvision and mission. Let voters form a judgment based on their
\nconvictions about candidates' programs, not just their
\npopularity.<\/p>\n
Controversy exists with regard to military candidates, given
\nfears that the nation's journey toward the achievement of strong
\ncivil society would be endangered should military figures return
\nto power. However, there is as yet no concrete vision from the
\ncivilian side on how to counter the trend, either. Therefore,
\nvoters cannot be dissuaded from supporting military candidates
\nwithout providing them with much more convincing alternatives.<\/p>\n
We hope that the nation will not only be able to enjoy a
\npeaceful and democratic presidential election, but also one that
\nwill provide us with a new leader who has strong vision,
\npolitical will and the capability to carry out his or her
\nprograms in order to lead the nation to better times.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/presidential-platforms-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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