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