'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)