'Weaker' lineup may mean mature democracy: Cak Nur<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While many political analysts have bemoaned the lack of strong,
\ncharismatic presidential candidates in the July 5 election, a
\nprominent Muslim scholar believes less-powerful candidates are
\nthe key to a good democracy.<\/p>\n
\"(In this election) there are no strongmen like Sukarno and
\nSoeharto (running for office). We hope this will be the starting
\npoint for a mature democracy,\" Nurcholish Madjid said in his
\nkeynote speech at a discussion here on Saturday organized by the
\nIndonesian Chinese Community and the Elkasa research group.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish, better known as Cak Nur, said unlike in the era of
\nthe all-powerful presidents Sukarno and Soeharto, who were dubbed
\nthe \"fathers of the nation\", the next president would simply
\nfunction as the chief executive officer of the state.<\/p>\n
This diminished role he said would encourage the people to
\ncriticize the policies and performance of the new government, an
\nimportant check and balance in democracy.<\/p>\n
\"We have to take advantage of this situation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur, the Paramadina Mulya University's rector and a
\nprofessor at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University,
\nsaid the successful and peaceful legislative election on April 5
\nshowed Indonesia's democracy was on the right track.<\/p>\n
However, while Indonesia's democracy worked well in practice,
\nthe country still needed good leadership, he said.<\/p>\n
\"But we have to accept this (democratic) process and recognize
\nwhomever is elected the next president,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur contested the Golkar Party's first convention in April
\nto select a presidential candidate. He later withdrew his bid due
\nto what he said was rampant vote-buying within the party of
\nformer president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at Saturday's discussion were noted economist
\nFaisal Basri and political analysts Mochtar Pabottingi and
\nMohammad Qodari.<\/p>\n
Faisal said it would take time for the democracy-new nation to
\nselect a great president.<\/p>\n
Speaking before an audience of Chinese Indonesians, a group
\noften the target of negative New Order policies, Faisal said the
\nnext president should be willing to end all forms of racial
\ndiscrimination.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mochtar Pabottingi of the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences (LIPI) believed the people's perception of candidates
\nwould not be influenced by expensive and slick political
\ncampaigns.<\/p>\n
An example was Golkar's campaign, he said. Although the party
\nhad the nation's most experienced and well-funded political
\nmachine, it had been damaged by allegations of corruption and
\nvote buying, he said.<\/p>\n
Mochtar said party leader Akbar Tandjung should have won the
\nGolkar convention because he was always at the frontline
\ndefending the party.<\/p>\n
Vote buying had ruined the convention process however, Mochtar
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/weaker-lineup-may-mean-mature-democracy-cak-nur-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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