KPU slammed for discriminatory policy

KPU slammed for discriminatory policy

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public criticism of the General Elections Commission (KPU) has
increased over its policy of requiring presidential and vice
presidential candidates to pass physical and psychological tests,
with critics calling the policy discriminatory.

The Antidiscrimation Society published on Monday a half-page
advertisement in several national dailies as part of its campaign
against the KPU policy.

The advertisement, which features a picture of the nearly
blind former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, reads: "Let
the people decide, not the KPU, IDI."

The KPU and the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) have
signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct checkups of the
presidential and vice presidential candidates, including an eye
exam.

The society asked people to join its campaign against the
policy by sending it a facsimile in a show of support or by
sending complaints to the KPU via e-mail.

Gus Dur and his National Awakening Party (PKB) have had their
motion for a review of the article in the presidential election
law on health requirements rejected by the Constitutional Court.
The Supreme Court is hearing their request for a judicial review
of the KPU policy.

Political expert Daniel Sparringa said that now that Indonesia
had adopted a direct presidential election, the right to
determine who was able to lead the nation should lie with the
people, not the KPU or any other institution.

"Let the people decide. If democracy is upheld, people will
not make a mistake in choosing the president," he said.

"Politically speaking, no institution has the authority to
interpret something the Constitution does not rule on."

Daniel said it was wrong for the KPU to issue a guideline that
would prevent anyone from exercising his or her constitutional
rights.

"The KPU has no mandate for that and, more importantly, it is
discriminatory," he said.

Both the Constitution and the presidential election law say
that presidential and vice presidential candidates must be
physically and mentally capable.

Human rights activist Asmara Nababan agreed with Daniel,
saying there was no reason for the KPU to bar anyone from running
for president.

"The guideline is discriminatory. Now they are banning people
with impaired eyesight from contesting the election, next they
might bar people without legs or feet," he said.

Asmara said that if the people voted for a disabled person as
president, the KPU or the government would have to do everything
it could to help that person perform his or her state duties.

"If a blind person is elected president, then the government
could appoint sworn officials to help him sign or read
confidential and important state documents," he suggested.

Asmara insisted that disabilities should not deprive people of
their political rights, which are protected by the Constitution.

"The KPU guideline is groundless and illegitimate. It must be
revoked," he said.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Saturday disabled
presidential candidates would be considered able if they could
perform their daily activities with the aid of special equipment
or tools.

"Therefore, those who wear glasses or hearing aids or who use
wheelchairs are not considered disabled," he said.

Critics have said that Gus Dur was unable to carry out state
duties properly during his term as president due to his physical
limitations. They accused him of being overly dependent on the
people around him.