Gus Dur's candidacy and human rights

Gus Dur's candidacy and human rights

From Koran Tempo

Anybody who feels disinclined to vote for former president
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, who has impaired eyesight, should
refrain from doing so in the July 5 presidential election.
However, nobody has the right to prevent him from joining the
race for the presidency.

The General Elections Commission (KPU), which has gone beyond
its powers and become a "constitutional executor", has no right
to ban him either, because it is only in charge of the
arrangements for holding general elections.

More absurdly, the judicial authority "borrowed" by the KPU
has been "delegated" to the Indonesian Doctors Association. The
right of Gus Dur or anybody else to run for the presidency can
only be annulled if he or she is proven guilty of criminal
charges or of treason.

Therefore, it is wise to leave it to the electorate, via the
July 5 election, to decide the right choice. In the meantime, if
the Supreme Court later turns down an appeal by Gus Dur and the
National Awakening Party, I would like to suggest that their
followers avoid an emotional response.

The struggle for constitutional democracy indeed takes a long
time. People in the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court
are not all well-versed in the true essence of democracy.

MAWARDI
Tokyo, Japan