State officials should be neutral
State officials should be neutral
From Republika
The neutrality of civilian civil servants in the upcoming June 7 elections is expected to help make the elections run freely, confidentially, honestly and fairly. About this neutrality, allow me to express the following opinions:
1. Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) must voice the aspirations of the voters electing them. So, legislators must not be neutral but must be able to convey popular aspirations in accordance with the pledges made during the campaign period.
2. The president and the vice president are elected and installed by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), where all parties and social groups are represented. So, although the president and vice president finally elected are originally the candidates of, let's say, Party A, their preparedness to assume the position of president or vice president will make it necessary for them to resign from Party A because they will no longer belong to the party nominating them, but to the entire Indonesian people as constitutionally approved by all MPR members (either through deliberation or through voting). Therefore, the president and vice president must also be neutral and must not serve on the board of a party or be a member of that party.
3. Likewise, other high-ranking officials of the state who are elected and installed by DPR or MPR as well as Cabinet ministers installed by a neutral president must also be neutral.
4. In this way a legitimate government can be set up and no parties should feel they are the losers or the winners. All win and this victory belongs to the entire Indonesian population.
5. If all state officials are neutral, in future the general election will be organized by the government while the representatives of political parties taking part in the elections plus intellectuals will be in the supervisory board.
Finally, let us all pray that all stages of the general election experience plain sailing and are safe and that a government enjoying the trust of the entire nation and leading the Indonesian people towards the establishment of a just and prosperous society will finally be established.
HERU SETYO NUGROHO
Jakarta