It's just horse-trading

It's just horse-trading

From Bisnis Indonesia

After the legislative election vote counting controversy, with the Golkar Party still holding the lead, public attention is now turning to the country's presidential candidates and their running mates.

Though this year's presidential election, unlike in previous years, will be a direct vote, horse-trading will inevitably prevail in the coming contest for top executive positions.

Political figures like Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Amien Rais and Abdurrahman "Gus Dus" Wahid are preoccupied by their search for running mates who can help them pick up votes. None of the candidates have prepared possible Cabinets or come up with platforms.

With the horse-trading and the very limited time left for recruiting Cabinet members, the ministers in the Cabinet of the president-elect later will likely be chosen more on the basis of reciprocity than capability.

In this context, the political interests of presidential candidates are not likely to be directly proportional to the public's interests. For Indonesia, with its fledgling democracy, this will not be favorable to the people.

If this happens, this year's elections will result in leaders who are no different from those who resulted from earlier elections.

ABDEL CASYM Jakarta