Visually impaired throw support behind Gus Dur

The Jakarta Post Lampung

Dozens of visually impaired people staged a rally on Thursday at the Lampung General Election Commission (KPU)'s offices to protest against the commission's ruling at the national level requiring presidential and vice presidential candidates to pass a tough medical examination, including an eye test.

The protesters alleged that the KPU regulation was politically motivated to prevent the National Awakening Party (PKB)'s would- be candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid from standing.

"We want Gus Dur to run in the presidential race as he shares our problems," one of the protesters, Bambang Sukoco, said.

The protesters called on the KPU to immediately revoke its Regulation No. 26/2004 on presidential election procedures as, they claimed, it ran contrary to Law No. 4/1997 on disability.

In an 11-point statement, the protesters, who were grouped in the Care for the Nation's Children group, also called on the KPU to apologize for its lack of sensitivity, and to draw up what the group termed more humane rulings for the presidential election.

"The KPU should not allow itself to become the lackey of the remnants of the New Order regime. It must apply fair conditions for all candidates, or else its members must be replaced," Bambang said.

After staging a lengthy protest in front of the KPU building and attracting the attention of a large crowd of onlookers, the protesters met the commission chairman, Edwin Hannibal, who promised to convey their demands to the KPU in Jakarta.

Despite the compulsory medical examination, the PKB has registered Gus Dur, a half-blind cleric, with the KPU as the party's candidate in the July 5 presidential election.

The party has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, saying that the regulation discriminates against disabled people. The Constitutional Court has already rejected a petition to review the electoral legislation.