Local elections, local rejections

It was pleasing to see that The Jakarta Post ran their story titled Graft suspects contesting polls, on the front page of the paper on June 16 -- for that is where it clearly belongs.

All the time Indonesia wishes to mock its own democracy, (fledgling as it is) then the more high profile is the exposure, the better.

What the story highlights, among other things, is the safeguards built into the law that allow criminals to prosper. If the only existing law that bars people from standing for local election is the one that relates to the five year imprisonment, then all crooks and embezzlers in this country are as safe as houses.

Whereas most people would try to go along with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statements about stamping out corruption, you would be forgiven for shrugging your shoulders and then bursting into laughter. You would also be forgiven for feeling sorry for the Indonesian people, because clearly they get a terrible deal from their would-be and existing administrations.

No wonder there is so much foot-dragging in Aceh when everyone knows that Ali Baba is patiently waiting in the wings. You'd also be forgiven for feeling sorry for Susilo, or for that matter any president that inherits such a mess as exists within these shores. Such things erode an already eroded image of this country, but clearly the country is not where the finger of blame should point.

It must go to the leadership, which means the duly elected government, and if they allow such behavior, as is the graft suspects, then they themselves must face the consequences.

DAVID WALLIS, Medan, North Sumatra