Aid for flood victims 'highly politicized'

Aid for flood victims 'highly politicized'

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The next general election in 2004 is still a long way off, but
political parties have been seen politicizing the severe floods
in the capital city as clearly displayed during the handover of
humanitarian aid by party' leaders to flood victims.

Their actions are designed to enable them to succeed in the
general election, political analysts have said.

"That is not only a premature campaign, but also a political
conspiracy for the interests of the party," said J. Kristiadi of
the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) here on
Sunday.

He said that the practice exemplified the failure of the
political parties in performing their main task of voicing the
people's aspirations and of maintaining the growth of democracy
in the country.

Fellow analyst Chusnul Mar'iyah from the University of
Indonesia (UI) noticed that a lack of experience of democracy had
led politicians to use whatever means they can for political
gain.

"Rather than just trying to survive in the 2004 general
election, I think they should find more ethical means to achieve
that goal," Chusnul told The Jakarta Post.

Instead of offering the humanitarian aid personally, Chusnul
suggested that the government, which constituted a coalition of
several political parties, should establish a collective command
post, involving representatives of all ruling parties to help
flood victims.

The two analysts made the remarks following visits by several
political leaders to areas severely hit by floods to give local
residents humanitarian aid. Their social welfare activities were
mostly performed under the banner of their own political parties.

Several political leaders distributed aid on Thursday after
the fourth day of flooding.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Amien Rais, who
is also chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), wore a T-
shirt and cap with the logo of his party.

At that occasion, Amien strongly criticized President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who is chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), for her slowness in
addressing the flood problems. The criticism was quickly
countered by chairman of PDI Perjuangan faction Roy B. Janis,
saying that his party had taken the lead in providing donations.

Former secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB)
Muhaimin Iskandar, who is House deputy speaker, also joined in
the polemic, saying that the PDI Perjuangan donations were merely
an apology for its lack of a sense of crisis.

In a more regretful incident, a source said that a Golkar
leader had claimed a donation was given by his party despite the
fact that the donations were collected by legislators from
various parties.

Kristiadi emphasized it would be inappropriate for any state
official to give aid under the banner of their own political
party.

"From the time political leaders are sworn in to take a
position within the state administration, they must not act under
the banner of their political party," he said.

Kristiadi added the nation needed to develop norms and ethics
to determine which actions could and could not be carried out by
political leaders.

"The political leaders should remember that they don't give
donations to their constituents, but to the people as a whole.
Therefore, they must not display attributes (logos) of their
political party," he said.

According to Kristiadi, the phenomenon reveals that the
nation's political stage is marked by political struggle among
its leaders. The political elite do not fight for the people's
interests, but use the name of the people to achieve political
goals. "This is extremely regretful," he said.

Chusnul hoped that political leaders would not try to seek
political gains in return for donations. She feared the people
may be terrorized by political parties to give support to a
certain party in the election.

She suggested that political groups in the government should
join hands in coordination with the President to set up a crisis
center for the people who have suffered during the floods. "It
would be an easy thing for the government," she added.