Many leaders act like criminals: Minister

Many leaders act like criminals: Minister

PARIAMAN, North Sumatra: Many national leaders live dishonest
lives in the sense that in public they often speak like angels
but behind the scenes they act like criminals, Minister of Social
Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah says.

Calling on the public to elect leaders with high personal
integrity in the upcoming elections, Bachtiar said the deeds of
national leaders were often at variance with what they had
promised to the public.

"Therefore, in next year's general election, the Indonesian
people must exercise greater caution in giving their votes to
those running for political office," he said during a working
visit to a number of districts in West Sumatra on Saturday.

Indonesia will hold a national legislative election in April
2004 and two-stage direct presidential election in 2004.

Bachtiar, a minister from the Muslim-based United Development
Party (PPP), said many social problems had not been addressed
while politicians continued trying to win popularity by
criticizing others and putting the blame on anything or anybody
else but themselves.

Bachtiar said his ministry would accept any kind of criticism
as long as it was conveyed in a proportional manner and designed
to produce solutions.

He said that many leaders were hypocritical and needed to
engage in introspection.

He stressed that the general election was approaching and
expressed the hope that it would not disrupt national stability.

"The most important thing is that we should not be dragged
into disputes just because of the general elections. So, let us
make sure that it goes well in accordance with the prevailing
laws," he said. --Antara