TNI's presidential nominee

The general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), in which Indonesia's fourth president will be elected, is scheduled to held from Oct. 1, 1999 to Oct. 3, 1999. People are now talking about who should be nominated as Indonesia's new president for the 1999-2004 tenure. Some candidates, put forward before the June 7 polling, now see their positions as presidential hopefuls strengthened following the votes collected by their parties.

Unfortunately, the road toward the presidential seat is full of curves and sharp gravel. To surpass these obstacles with ease, the Indonesian Military (TNI) is granted 38 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR). The participation of DPR members from the military is considered the most important factor in showing the right way to the presidential seat. Therefore the voting rights of these members have been hotly debated by various circles. The political elite have even openly objected to and prohibited the TNI putting forward its own presidential candidate or exercising its political right in the upcoming general session of the MPR. They argue that only political parties which have taken part in the polls reserve the right to put forward a presidential nominee and, that members of the TNI faction do not have this right because their presence in the DPR/MPR is not a result of the polls.

The discussion concerning the political rights of the military in the DPR/MPR seem to suggest a fear among the political elite that if the TNI insists on exercising its political rights, the result is likely to be a military dictator. Such prejudice is not a suitable reason to prohibit the TNI faction in the DPR/MPR from nominating a presidential candidate, and exercising its voting rights in the presidential election. Formally and legally this prohibition does not exist. Could preventing the faction from exercising its right in the general session of the MPR be construed as a human rights violation? Shall we go on to adopt a hypocritical attitude -- on one side we say we uphold human rights but on the other side we tend to violate these rights?

As a layman, I believe that the crux of the matter is as such: Who is the most appropriate and most capable to lead our nation toward a change for the better, and specifically address the ongoing deep economic crisis. Therefore the problem does not lie in who wins or loses, or even in who has the right to put forward a presidential candidate in the upcoming general session of the MPR. The people in general only hope to be able to live in peace and safety, have enough food to eat, send their children to school and sleep soundly. They certainly do not hope to be tossed about in life by the country's uncertain political condition.

Therefore I believe it is acceptable for the TNI to come up with its own presidential nominee, from within the TNI itself or from a political party. I believe it is even acceptable for a winning political party to nominate a TNI figure for president, considering that one of a number of military figures must fulfill the requirements for the position and are therefore fit for nomination.

RAHMAT GUNAWAN

Bekasi, West Java