'Political arena will become more competitive'
'Political arena will become more competitive'
JAKARTA (JP): Young people opting for a political career in
Indonesia will face tough competition, though conditions will be
fairer than in the past, a noted statesman said.
Akbar Tandjung, a cabinet minister who began his political
career as a student leader, said during a seminar yesterday that
the globalization and democratization processes will make the
political recruitment process in Indonesia more transparent.
Recruitment will no longer be determined by a single channel,
Akbar told a meeting with youth leaders of Golkar, the ruling
political organization.
In an industrialized society, political leadership will be
recruited from various sources, he said during the "National
Youth Dialog" opened by Golkar chairman Harmoko.
"A person's position in the country's political structure will
no longer be determined by that person's emotional relation to
the centers of the power structure," Akbar said. "It will be
determined by objective and rational factors -- the person's
political capacity, capability and acceptability," he added.
Indra Bambang Utoyo, chairman of the Indonesian Youths for
Development (AMPI), said only the best candidate will succeed in
this process of "natural selection".
"Those who rely on other people's help will be defeated by the
competition," he said.
He admitted that although not by choice, political patronage
still prevails in Indonesia today. "But I believe that it will no
longer happen in the future."
Akbar, the State Minister of People's Housing, said Indonesian
youths must be prepared for their roles when change occurs.
"Youths, as the country's future leaders, must master the
modern and proper skills in order to bring the country into the
international and global constellation," he said.
"We, of course, do not want to simply remain spectators of
international development," he added, arguing that being
spectators is an indication of one's inability to fill the role.
Akbar urged the government and the people to provide a
conducive climate for young people to find their identities. "The
youth will never grow up and become independent without enough
room and support to develop themselves," he said.
About 400 participants from various youth and student
organizations attended the opening of the two-day dialog. They
are representatives from the Islamic Students Association; the
Golkar-backed youth organizations AMPI, MKGR, and Kosgoro; and
student senate leaders from both government and private
universities in Jakarta and other provinces in Java.
Amir Santoso, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political
Studies at the University of Indonesia, said in another session
that in order to face international competition, the government
must first improve human resources.
"The government should change the definition of development to
include human resources," he said.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono highlighted in his
presentation the "dangers" of communism, which he has detected
recently in various articles.
He did not elaborate.
"We must be careful with communism. History taught us that it
has been harmful and destructive to our development program,"
Moerdiono added. (imn)