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.