Task ahead for next president

Task ahead for next president

From Merdeka

Prominent entrepreneurs in Indonesia have long held huge
monopolies of particular business commodities, enjoying
facilities from the government, and they now rake in huge
profits. But the nation's true patriots have been continuously
fighting against the prevailing injustice, and want termination
of the system which is only advantageous to a handful of people.

It is true that the government has gradually abolished
economic and trade monopolies so as not to provide fertile ground
for speculation and save society. But in terms of power, the
ruling party is still reluctant to share it with other political
parties. The president has his prerogative right to form the
cabinet and select his ministers. Even the civil servants have no
choice but to be loyal to the power-holder. Political parties'
personnel are only given the chance to become members of the
House of Representatives (DPR) and People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR). Offspring of members of the political parties are also
barred from applying for employment in the civil service. They
are apparently regarded as second-class citizens in their own
country.

This has been going on for decades and the solution to this
particular problem is next to impossible. The people's aspiration
that the political and election laws be revised was flatly
rejected by the ruling Golkar functional group and the Armed
Forces under the classical pretext.

We are apparently witnessing a reality that is contradictory
to democracy and Pancasila. Under the present system the
political parties have not been able to prepare and educate
cadres at the district and village levels. The younger generation
has been denied political education and a sense of heroism, so
that they are vulnerable to drug abuse and other negative
undertakings.

Social and political lives are directed to benefit the ruling
power and all growing powers outside the system are crushed at
all costs.

Whoever the next president will be, these are the challenges
that have to be faced together, involving all the people who have
been immersed in a situation where crisis of confidence prevails.

MARSOESI

Surabaya, East Java