The lighter side of the election

The election is a very serious event, because the outcome is very important for the future of the nation and its people. That's why the contenders are very serious in trying to sell their programs to the people in the hope that voters will choose them.

There are three contenders in Indonesia. The three groups are now campaigning to win votes. I would to describe the lighter side of the election which, in a way, is very lucrative.

Let's look at what leaders and their followers are wearing at the moment. Thousands, perhaps millions, of t-shirts are produced and distributed to those among the contending parties. Golkar distributes yellow t-shirts, the United Development Party green t-shirts and the Indonesian Democratic Party red ones.

During the month-long campaign, you cannot just have one t- shirt, because you have to exchange the dirty one for a clean one. All these things must be produced, which involves a lot of money. The jackets worn by the leaders must be quite expensive.

We cannot be sure that the people in the streets, perhaps millions of them, are really serious followers of one particular party. They are participating in the campaign in order to get free t-shirts. I would say that those kind of people are true nationalists because they are willing to wear any color.

How much money do industries earn by making flags, caps and banners, which are placed all over town? If you are a clever person, you can earn a lot of money in a short time. The campaigning period is a harvest time for some artists, too. They earn money by singing and dancing. Besides its political atmosphere, the election also creates some economic advantages, the lighter side of democratic life.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta