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