Papernas proposes five alternative presidential candidates

Source
Kompas – January 17, 2007
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Papernas Preparatory Committee chairperson Dominggus Oktavianus (PRD)
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Papernas Preparatory Committee chairperson Dominggus Oktavianus (PRD)
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Jakarta – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) has proposed five figures that would be suitable to be nominated as presidential candidates in the 2009 elections. The five figures are Kwik Kian Gie, Sukardi Rinakit, Rizal Ramli, Hasyim Wahid and Dita Indah Sari.

Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday January 16, the general chairperson of the Papernas Preparatory Committee, Dominggus Oktavianus Tobu Kiik said that local Papernas boards and members have screened and come up with the five alternative presidential candidates who are economic, political and movement activist figures.

Kwik Kian Gie and Rizal Ramli are economists with experience as ministers while Sukardi Rinakit is known as a politician and the director of the Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated research group. Dita Indah Sari is a movement activist and chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party while Hasyim Wahid is the younger brother of former President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Of these five figures, only Dita has declared that she is ready to be nominated by Papernas. The other candidates meanwhile have not provided any confirmation. When contacted by Kompas Rinakit only laughed. “Let me just be a researcher. Cos’ the president needs experience”, he said. He did say however that the discourse that has surfaced on alternative presidential candidates is positive in terms of stimulating the emergence of an alternative leader.

According to Dominggus, an alternative presidential candidate would have to have a high commitment to resolving the nation’s problems. Currently, there are no traditional political leaders that have the capacity needed for the nation to extract itself from the various problems it faces.

The chairperson of the Papernas Preparatory Committee, Agus Jabo Priyono, said that the candidate must be able to take up Papernas’ program that flows out of the Three Banners of National Unity for the Welfare of the People. The Three Banners are the nationalisation of the mining industry, the abolition of the foreign debt and building a national industry for the welfare of the people. (mzw/bdm)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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