Candidates' religion

While attending the recent general election, I noticed that the ballot papers for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) featured the candidates' names, photographs and personal details, including religion.

There are at least two problems with the inclusion of candidates' religion. First, it violates candidates' rights, as Indonesians do not enjoy freedom of religion. Confucians generally declare themselves as Buddhists, while atheists and devotees of Indonesian religions are forced to profess a foreign creed.

This encourages oppression, as some religions, notably Christianity and Islam, have invented such "sins" as apostasy, heresy and blasphemy, for which people are still executed in West Asia. While punishments are lighter in Indonesia, a preacher was recently jailed for his heretical interpretation of the bible and people in Aceh who are nominally Muslim can be punished merely for missing prayers.

The authorities twist even marriage into a celebration of religious repression as they refuse to allow weddings between two people of different religions.

Forcing parliamentary candidates to declare an official religion compromises their honesty before they are even elected and facilitates neglect of the real aspirations of millions of people who do not keenly follow any of the official religions.

Second, even if candidates were free to declare their true religious beliefs, such information should not be advertised at polling booths. Voters who know little about the candidates may be tempted to simply choose any candidate with whom they have something in common, even if it is only their religion. Thus, voters have a disincentive to consider which candidates might really best represent their interests.

Meanwhile, candidates have an incentive to encourage sectarian politics as, apart from their good looks, their religious affiliation may be the only selling point that is sure to stick in voters' minds when they enter the polling booth.

So, for 2009, there should be no compulsion for candidates to declare a religion, and sectarianism should be kept off the ballot papers. In this way the elections will better foster unity while reflecting the true diversity of the Indonesian people.

JOHN HARGREAVES, Jakarta