Presidential candidates' platforms vague: Experts
Presidential candidates' platforms vague: Experts
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Golkar's presidential candidates presented their electoral
platforms before some 500 party members from across the country
on Tuesday, but analysts said their programs were too general and
vague.
Their programs seemed uninteresting even to party members as
many convention participants did not bother to show up at the
auditorium where the candidates unveiled their manifestos.
Almost half of the seats in the auditorium were vacant when
media baron Surya Paloh and Yogyakarta Governor Sultan
Hamengkubuwono X presented their views on Tuesday afternoon.
Even on Tuesday morning, when Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung,
businessman Aburizal Bakrie, and former Army Strategic Reserves
Command (Kostrad) chief Prabowo Subianto presented their
programs, many members were absent from the auditorium.
Wiranto, who turned up in the evening session, used a slide
show to attract the audience during his presentation.
Political analysts attending the presentations said that the
candidates failed to specify what programs they would put in
place.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) urged candidates to spell out their plans for their first
100 days in office.
"Their ideas are simply too general. They will not be able to
finish their programs by the end of the five-year presidential
term," said Fachry Ali of the Institute for the Study and
Advancement of Business Ethics (LSPEU).
Syamsuharto from the Surabaya-based Airlangga University
stressed that the programs offered by the presidential candidates
needed to be feasible and practical.
Opening the morning session, Aburizal said that he would
create labor-oriented programs that would employ more people and
reduce unemployment.
"A labor-oriented program will give more opportunities to
people to work," said Aburizal, adding he would also boost the
economic recovery.
Meanwhile, Akbar said that while he would continue to promote
democracy, he would also maintain political stability by
restricting the number of political parties.
Akbar said he would reduce the number of political parties by
imposing strict requirements for individuals to set up political
parties. He did not elaborate.
Under the existing political party law, a party has to have
branches in 50 percent of the country's provinces and in 50
percent of the regencies in those provinces in order to be
recognized as a legitimate political party, among other
requirements.
At least 50 political parties have been declared legitimate
and thus have the chance to participate in the 2004 general
elections.
Akbar, who was sentenced to three years in jail for his role
in a Rp 40 billion financial scandal, argued that cutting the
number of parties would encourage the convergence of ideas and
political platforms.
Prabowo, meanwhile, said he would provide poor people with
low-cost housing, and loan facilities for small and medium
enterprises.
Prabowo, a son-in-law of former president Soeharto, said that
he had heard rumors that bribes were being paid to secure support
during the convention.
"But, I believe in the integrity of the convention
participants," he said. At least 534 people are attending the
convention.
Surya Paloh expressed his disappointment over the changes to
the convention rules and schedules. He said that there had been
inconsistencies during the convention.
As for the effort to achieve national reconciliation, Surya
said that what was needed now was not politicians but rather
statesman.
Hamengkubuwono, meanwhile, proposed a worldwide campaign to
improve Indonesia's image and bargaining position in the global
community.
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No. Candidates Supporting Platforms
provinces
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1. Aburizal Bakrie 28 democracy and economy
2. Surya Paloh 27 reconciliation
3. Wiranto 25 reconciliation, rule of law
4. Akbar Tandjung 23 economy, law, democracy
5. Jusuf Kalla 20 socio-economic justice
6. Prabowo Subianto 14 strong government
7. Hamengkubuwono X 7 education, good governance
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