On good and genuine candidates
The culture of Indonesia does not lend itself to straight talking, especially in the area of criticism against individuals. In the case of rotten legislators (and we must accept there are some) then, to publish a list can be viewed in more than one way.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has a duty to educate the public regarding electoral procedures, but this would not cover the personal performances of would-be legislators. Most people do not have the time or the opportunity to find out in depth the quality and character of the candidates, and so (to be fair to the electorate) someone, or some body needs to provide that information.
If producing a blacklist (which is the intention) would cause considerable agitation, then the alternative could be to issue a list that only contains the names of the good candidates, with a short write-up of what they have done, or intend to do.
Megawati tells the nation that they must vote for good leaders, and the only way that people will know who is good and who is bad is for them to see whose name appears on the good list and why. There is no reason why such a list cannot be nationally advertised, as it is complimentary to individuals and of course informative to the electorate.
Also, as a matter of course, there should be a small but detailed write up of all would-be candidates so that people can sensibly decide who to vote for and can also see what vision a particular candidate has for the region and for the nation. That should be a minimum requirement, and what is said in the pamphlet should be a commitment to the voters that candidates can be held accountable to as time goes by.
People simply want to know who is genuine and who really cares for the region, its people and development, and the country as a whole.
If you go the other way and issue a blacklist, then the legal boys (who are having a wonderful time in this country) will be rubbing their hands together as they pile in the money from libel cases.
DAVID WALLIS Medan, North Sumatra