Money politics, violent politics, and politics which are not enlightening, the President said, are challenges that have to be overcome by Indonesia so the democratic process produces good leaders.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia continues confronting political diseases, such as money politics, violence and unenlightened politicking.
He made the statement here on Wednesday when receiving board members of the Indonesian Moslem Intellectual Association (ICMI) at his office.
In view of these problems, the President called upon the ICMI to contribute ideas to assure that the next general elections in 2014 would be democratic, discuss a higher quality of issues and produce reliable leaders, chairman of ICMI Presidium Nanat Fatah Natsir said following the meeting.
"The President has asked ICMI to help provide enlightenment to the people, especially before the 2014 general elections and in connection with the shortcomings which the President called political diseases," he said.
Money politics, violent politics, and politics which are not enlightening, the President said, are challenges that have to be overcome by Indonesia so the democratic process produces good leaders.
Deputy chairman of ICMI`s Advisory Board Irman Gusman, meanwhile, said to follow up on the President`s request, ICMI would hold discussions to formulate a democratic process which is free of these political diseases.
ICMI, he said, would seek ways to encourage qualified candidates to run in the 2014 general elections. One way of doing that is by not limiting the parliamentary threshold at 20 percent, because "by doing that only two or three could emerge."
He said ICMI had not yet formulated the criteria to determine who are qualified candidates.
"ICMI has not yet formulated the criteria, but certainly faith and piety would be among them, besides leadership, competence and others that ICMI would refer to when recommending the best person (for the country`s leadership)," he said.
Irman said ICMI would meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono again in June to present its ideas to improve the democratic process in the 2014 general elections.
Other ICMI board members attending the meeting were ICMI`s expert board chief Hatta Rajasa, ICMI Presidium member Sugiharto, ICMI Secretary General Muhammad Taufiq, ICMI Coordination chairman Avip Saefullah and deputy secretary general Endin Nasruddin.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
