'Rotten politicians' to be announced by March 11
'Rotten politicians' to be announced by March 11
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Members of the movement to ban contemptible candidates are
planning to publish the names of politicians with rotten records
by March 11 at the latest to help voters identify the quality of
their representatives on election day April 5.
Meanwhile, political scientist Mochtar Pabottingi and Muslim
scholar Nurcholish Madjid called on educated people to inform the
public to vote only for candidates with good track records.
Munir, from the human rights watchdog Imparsial, said on
Thursday that he and his fellow activists had prepared a
newspaper-style list of unscrupulous politicians.
"We have finished 70 percent of our data. We plan to publish
it no later than March 11," Munir said.
The campaign period for the April 5 legislative election will
also begin on March 11 and run through April 1.
According to Munir, the list will consist of two columns --
the first column with the names, their political parties and what
position they are running for, while the second column will have
their track records.
He added that they would publish such things as involvement in
corruption, human rights abuses, environmental destruction,
domestic violence and illegal drugs.
Smita Notosusanto of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro)
confirmed the plan, saying the publication would be a good voter
education tool, as most media groups have apparently not seen the
need to follow up on such stories as a service to the public.
"We want to refresh the voters' memories. We've been compiling
the politicians' records from past newspaper and magazine
accounts. So everything is already a matter of public record and
thus can't be used in a lawsuit," she told The Jakarta Post.
Smita said, however, that they had a team of lawyers at the
ready.
She added that the publication would vary from one electoral
district to another.
The movement has stayed true to its goal of letting the public
know about all of society's leeches currently posing as
candidates. Earlier, movement leaders said that they would issue
a list frankly declaring all those deemed unfit for public
office.
The planned publication will carry a heading that reads: Are
these people eligible to represent us?
Munir said the movement would print about 100,000 copies and
distribute them to the press and the public at large at no cost.
Politicians placed on the list for Jakarta's two electoral
districts would be from the six old parties and at least two of
the newly established parties, Munir added.
The six old parties are the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the
National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN),
and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).
The two new parties are the Concern for the Nation Functional
Party (PKPB) and the Democratic Party.
Moctar Pabottingi of the Indonesian Institute of Science
(LIPI) said during a seminar that voters must make accurate
choices in elections, otherwise their representatives could all
end up being anti-reformasi.
He added that this year's election could become a turning
point for political change.
"We must not only be against the unscrupulous politicians, but
also against the rotten political parties," Mochtar said during
the seminar at Atma Jaya University on Thursday.
Nurcholish said voters must be given information and warnings
from the very beginning to make them aware of their political
choices in order to improve democracy in the country.