Parties criticized for weak nominees

Parties criticized for weak nominees

JAKARTA: The maneuver of some political parties to include
celebrity personalities on their legislative candidate lists
clearly shows that those parties are desperate to lure voters, an
analyst says.

Faisal Basri, chief of the Committee for the Preparation of
the Indonesian Movement (KPPI), said Tuesday that there was
little relevance between the actual needs of the nation and the
legislative candidates abilities.

While the nation was in need of addressing unemployment and
poverty issues, political parties were busy nominating actors and
actresses seats as legislative candidates.

"It wouldn't be a problem if the political parties were
preparing to do television soap operas," Faisal said at a
discussion Tuesday.

Among celebrity personalities listed as legislative candidates
are Sophia Latjuba and Marissa Haque by the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle; Nurul Arifin by Golkar; Emillia Contessa and
Mieke Widjaya by the United Development Party; Rieke Dyah
Pitaloka by the National Awakening Party; and Dede Yusuf and
Paquita Wijaya by the National Mandate Party. -- JP