Candidates' religion

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