2004 elections not expected to produce any new leaders
2004 elections not expected to produce any new leaders
Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Analysts warned on Thursday that an alternative choice of leaders
would unlikely emerge from the 2004 general election because
political parties have offered no new political agenda and no
room for new political players.
"The fact that we still have the same political players as we
did during the New Order regime to contend the upcoming
presidential election, makes it clear that political parties'
agenda still have not shifted from the Soeharto era.
"Even if parties form coalitions to win the general election,
it will only be for a short period of time without any adjustment
to their political perception, vision and mission,"
said Syamsudin Haris of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI).
The political leaders who are expected to be nominated by the
major political parties, such as incumbent President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Amien Rais, Vice President
Hamzah Haz and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, were all old players.
Separately, Bachtiar Effendi, a political analyst from the
Jakarta Islamic Teaching Institute, was of the same opinion and
added that the candidacy restriction, which requires parties to
win at least 20 percent of legislative seats to be eligible to
contest the presidential election, would likely prevent new
leaders from emerging in 2004.
The restriction was not conducive to the spirit of democracy,
he said.
"As a result, quality leaders would not emerge because the
available options are limited, while those who may be qualified
to lead the nation are excluded from the options," he said.
He also said that the current mechanism, in which possible
presidential candidates opted to refrain from being publicly
announced as presidential candidates, could also keep the public
from becoming interested in politics.
"Presidential candidates must announce themselves and show
that they accept their nomination with pride and honor.
"Show some respect and seriousness to the public, and make
them believe that they will choose the right person to lead the
nation. Then, the public will not be indifferent toward politics
and potential leaders can be groomed from the grassroots," he
said.
Hamid Awaluddin of the General Elections Commission (KPU)
admitted that the next elections might not accommodate the
people's aspirations, as the direct electoral system would be
introduced for the first time next year.
"We proposed earlier that we should try out the direct
election concept in the regional elections, but so far, no
regents nor governors have been directly elected by the people,"
he said.
The KPU has planned the two-phased presidential election for
June and August 2004, while they await the deliberation of the
presidential election bill by the House of Representatives (DPR).
The general election is set for April 5, 2004.
More than 130 million people are expected to participate in
Indonesia's first direct elections.