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