UI shortlist four top candidates for rector
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.