Alternate presidential candidates

Alternate presidential candidates

Following in the footsteps of Dr. Amien Rais, Megawati
Soekarnoputri -- in a statement made at her residence in the
presence of many, including a number of foreign diplomats --
declared herself ready to be a candidate for the presidency. At
the very least, her forthright statement has contributed to a
melting of the frozen political culture in which extreme
tactfulness is the accepted code of conduct -- a culture in which
it is as good as taboo for a citizen to openly express his or her
readiness to be a presidential candidate.

Earlier, the National Brotherhood Foundation YKPK, represented
by its chairman Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bambang Triantoro, openly asked
the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly to
accept a figure other than Pak Harto (President Soeharto) as the
presidential candidate. This political stance taken by YKPK also
contributed to a thaw in the prevailing political culture.

All these developments mark the emergence of a new dimension
in our political morality. People's willingness to assume a clear
position and attitude within the context of a predominant
political culture that provides practically no alternatives,
particularly where such an all-important position as that of the
presidency is concerned, represents a daring political stance
that helps to make the political process of succession more
colorful.

We are well aware of what the outcome of this courageous
political move toward change initiated by Dr. Amien Rais and
Megawati Soekarnoputri is likely to be. What is worth noting,
however, is that a shift is taking place in our political
culture, marked by a demand for freedom to reveal one's political
stance, especially when it concerns a position that is of the
greatest importance to the nation and the country. We hope we
will have the wisdom to view this political process not merely in
the narrow context of the current predominant political culture,
but to recognize it as being part of the movement toward change
which characterizes this era and which we should accept as a
living reality, even while we maintain the commonly agreed-upon
political mechanisms and procedures as mandated by the
Constitution.

-- Surabaya Post