UI shortlist four top candidates for rector
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The University of Indonesia's (UI) rectorial election drew closer to a final decision, with its seven candidates shortlisted down to four on Tuesday, an official said.
The four remaining candidates are Jimly Asshidiqie (Professor of State Administrative Law), Usman Chatib Warsa (UI's acting rector, Professor of Medicine), Martani Huseini (Dean, School of Social and Political Science), and Djoko Hartanto (Professor at the School of Engineering).
The candidates were elected by the UI's Board of Trustees (MWA), which has 21 members from various stakeholders in the university including the Minister of Education, lecturers, students and business people.
"These candidates have been screened and they all took a tough fit-and-proper test on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, which was set by MWA," the election spokesperson, Diennaryati Tjokro, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
However, Lusi, a student of UI's Public Health Department expressed her concern about the fairness of the rectorial election.
"All this fanfare is just play acting, because everything, I believe, has already been arranged. The name (of the new rector) currently lies in the hands of the MWA," said Lusi.
Diennaryati brushed aside the allegation that the rectorial election had been fair so far.
"Rumors that the election has been fixed are growing among students and the university community. However, to my knowledge, the MWA members have vowed to stay independent during the election," Diennaryati said.
She added that some members had even refused to receive phone calls to prevent any possible influence from the candidates.
Previously, for the first time ever, the university held a public campaign that was attended by over a thousand lecturers, students and employees.
One of the major issues being asked the candidates by the MWA was the financing following the new status endowed to the university as a state-owned incorporated entity (BHMN).
The new status requires the university to seek other financial sources to fund its academic and research activities, because the government will begin lowering the level of its subsidies in 2005.
Martani, one of the candidates revealed the university must eye new funding sources to help finance its costs.
"For instance, we could make the university's TV a commercial venture that is listed in the Jakarta Stock Exchange," Martani said, adding the university has been allowed by a presidential decree to generate money from unconventional sources.
Besides, Martani said the university should recalculate "reasonable" fees to be charged to the students in accordance to the costs spent in each respective department.
On Aug. 12, the university will choose two candidates who will run for the final election on Aug. 14.