Youth protest domination of old faces in candidate lists

Detik.com – January 5, 2004
Protest outside Taman Ismail Marzuki Cultural Centre in Cikini (Tempo)
Protest outside Taman Ismail Marzuki Cultural Centre in Cikini (Tempo)

Anindhita Maharrani, Jakarta – A number of youth organisation under the banner of Youth Community (Kaum Muda) have protested the list of legislative candidates [for the 2004 general elections] which are dominated by old faces, people who have previously been legislative members. This protest was presented by Youth Community at a press conference at the Cafe Venesia at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Monday January 5.

Youth Community is made up of a number of groups including the Islamic Students Association Reform (HMI-MPO), the People’s Democratic Party (PRD) and the National Student League for Democracy (LMND).

Based on Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) data, 70 per cent of those included the legislative candidate lists which have been submitted by political parties to the National Election Committee (KPU) are old faces. According to Youth Community, it is no longer appropriate for these old faces to be nominated because they have already failed to carry forward the agenda of reformasi.

“We call on the public to go to the offices of the political parties to protest the legislative candidate lists which, according to ICW, 70 per cent of which are filled with old faces who have failed to carry forward the agenda of reformasi”, said PRD chairperson Haris Rusli Moti.

On Wednesday January 14, Youth Community plans to hold a demonstration at the KPU offices to protest the legislative candidate lists. As well as this, they will also be campaigning more broadly on the failures of the six large political parties1 which will be participating in the general elections.

Haris was also of the view that the 2004 general elections do not represent a solution for the people to escape the [ongoing economic and political] crisis. “There must be an extra-parliamentary road in the sense of a broader mass movement to urge that the government be replaced with an alternative administration which is formed by young people”, he said. (iy)

Notes:

1. The six big political parties which dominated the 1999 general elections are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

[Translated by James Balowski.]