Mandate by coincidence

Mandate by coincidence

From one of the world's spectacular direct presidential
election systems involving 150 million voters now under way in
Indonesia, only two of 10 candidates will be declared the next
official leaders of a country of 250 million people.

One can only hope the winners in the race will, indeed, be the
best among the contestants. However, the chances are the two may
be the luckiest rather than the most ideal the country
needs as leaders at this juncture. The lower echelons of the
electorate are insufficiently informed about the programs of the
candidates though most know they have promised a better future,
better education, more employment, better health facilities,
lower prices and less crime and corruption.

But there is doubt they will keep their word. After all,
campaign time is an occasion for promising many nice things to
win people's votes. It may be that those gifted with greater
ability to communicate may swing the pendulum in their favor.
Some women voters have indicated they will bet on the most
handsome man.

The majority of the public are not too interested in who will
finally reach the top, realizing that, ultimately, their fate
will be largely unaffected. Only party loyalists know exactly
what they must do. The sober-minded have their own way of gauging
the integrity and steadfastness of the candidates.

I fear that the two winners may receive a mandate almost by
accident, rather than via a process of genuine selection,
although seemingly through democratic channels.

GANDHI SUKARDI, Jakarta