Candidates called on to eliminate corruption

Candidates called on to eliminate corruption

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

The two contenders of the Sept. 20 presidential election should
focus on the fight against corruption and legal discrimination,
religious leaders said on Tuesday.

In separate meetings with incumbent president Megawati
Soekarnoputri, and her challenger, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on
Tuesday, the religious figures underlined the necessity of
appointing professionals to the new cabinet, particularly for key
positions such as the attorney general, minister of justice,
police chief and education minister.

"We and the President agreed that corruption and (legal)
discrimination are the main issues that must be addressed by the
coming government," Masdar Mas'udi, the acting chairman of
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said after meeting with Megawati.

The Attorney General's Office has been investigating
corruption cases in the past two years, which have caused an
estimated Rp 22 trillion (US$2.39 billion) in state losses.

Indonesia has been ranked among the most corrupt countries in
the world by international corruption watchdogs.

Masdar said the religious leaders urged both candidates to
focus on the challenges the country would face in the next five
years so as to improve the welfare of Indonesians.

"We are not lending them our political support, but as
religious leaders we hope to give them a moral boost. We hope the
government of (whomever is) elected president will build close
ties with us and the people," Masdar said.

Later that day, the religious leaders held a meeting with
Susilo at a hotel in South Jakarta to raise the same concerns.

Susilo and Megawati will contest the election run-off in
September after finishing first and second respectively in the
July 5 election.

Benny Susetyo of the Indonesian Conference of Bishops (KWI)
said during her meeting with the religious leaders, Megawati
admitted some flaws in her administration's past efforts to
enforce the law.

"She said people are aware of weak law enforcement and
promised if she was elected she will recruit professional people
for key positions such as the attorney general and justice
minister," Benny said.

Also attending the meeting were the Indonesian Communion of
Churches (PGI) chairman Nathan Setiabudi, Dwi Santoso from
Indonesia Khong Hucu Community (Matakin) and Goodwill Zubir of
Muhammadiyah.

Complaints of prolonged discriminatory policies were also
raised by dozens of Chinese-Indonesian businessmen who met
Megawati earlier on Tuesday.

The businessmen questioned the legal certainty regarding the
Certificate on Indonesian Citizenship (SBKRI) and other
regulations that they said discriminated against them.

"I have ordered the coordinating minister for political and
security affairs to take action against any government officials
who keep asking for SBKRI, because I have always asserted there
is no need to produce that document anymore," Megawati said in
response.

She urged all Chinese-Indonesians to fight officials who
discriminated against them.

"Stop complaining and stand up against officials who ask for
the SBKRI. If people resist their demands they will stop asking
(for the document)," Megawati said.

She also called for a campaign against the use of the word
"Chinese" when referring to ethnic Indonesian-Chinese, as some
Indonesian-Chinese considered it an insult. The government has
proposed "Tionghoa" as the politically correct replacement.