People asked to choose pro-democracy candidates

People asked to choose pro-democracy candidates

A. Junaidi, Jakarta

Religious leaders called on the public on Friday to choose those
candidates with a strong commitment to upholding human rights,
democracy and pluralism in the July 5 presidential election.

They also urged the people to elect candidates who have
demonstrated a strong determination in fighting discrimination
and the country's pandemic corruption.

The leaders grouped under the National Moral Advocacy Movement
(GPMB), however, declined to mention which candidates met the
criteria.

"It's too early to mention the candidates who have these
qualities. So far, there is no ideal candidate," said popular
Muslim figure Nurcholish Madjid.

GPMB members include Syafii Maarif, chairman of the country's
second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, and Julius
Cardinal Darmaatmadja, chairman of the Indonesian Bishops'
Conference (KWI).

The group's call was welcomed by Cecep Syarifuddin of
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Kumala Setiabrata of the Indonesian
Communion of Churches, Budi Santoso of the Indonesian Confucian
Council and Nurcholish.

Nurcholish said candidates who had a past record of committing
human rights violations should not be supported in the election.

Although he has never been held accountable by law, Wiranto, a
retired four-star Army general, is alleged to have had a hand in
the brutal killings surrounding and during the 1999 United
Nations-sponsored East Timor referendum.

The Special Crimes Unit of the East Timor Attorney General's
Office has issued an arrest warrant for Wiranto, who was
Indonesian Military (TNI) commander during the bloodshed.

Darmaatmadja added that the ideal candidates should possess
statesmanship and be committed to anti-discrimination and
pluralism, as "they, if elected, will no longer belong to a
particular party, but to the entire nation".

Of the five presidential candidates, only incumbent Vice
President Hamzah Haz is nominated by a Muslim-based political
party, the United Development Party (PPP), which he heads. He has
also vowed publicly to fight for the implementation of Islamic
law, or sharia, if elected.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, another four-star Army general and
former security minister, is nominated by the nationalist
Democratic Party, but the inclusion of Muslim-based Crescent Star
(PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra in his coalition has spurred
speculation that he would also strive to implement sharia.

Meanwhile, President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who took over the
national leadership in 2001, has been accused of dragging her
feet in the fight against corruption, which is seen as the direct
cause of the prevailing economic crisis.

Meanwhile, Syafii also called on the candidates themselves to
indicate their choices for the posts of attorney general,
justice/human rights minister and National Police chief.

"They should at least should announce their candidates for
(these positions) by the runoff," he said.

Indonesia will hold the direct presidential election on July 5
and a possible runoff on Sept. 20.