"We are an open party."Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - The ruling Democrat Party is ready to name a professional as its presidential candidate in the election in 2014, according to party`s advisory board member Marzuki Alie.
"We are ready to name not only a candidate from political parties but also from among professionals," he said after opening the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly meeting here on Monday.
He said Indonesia actually has a lot of potential candidates but they have so far been covered by political party oligarchy.
So, accusations that Indonesia is currently suffering from a leadership crisis are not true, he said while referring to China as an example for the country to determine its leader.
He said the Chinese leader came from among pure professionals that has no personal interest in business which is an important factor because usually it would be difficult for leaders who have been involved in business to separate business from leadership affairs while leading.
Citing examples of leaders from among professionals Marzuki referred to among others Zulkifli Zaini, current president director of state-owned Bank Mandiri, finance minister Agus Martowardojo and Emirsyah Satar, current president director PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk.
He said the chairman of the advisory board, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has also said that the party`s presidential candidate must not always come from political parties but can also come from among professionals. "We are an open party," Marzuki said.
The Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting agency in its release on the results of a survey on challenges to be faced by presidential candidates in the 2014 election has said that a lot of popular figures have won no public favor because they have been considered not meeting national quality criteria.
(Uu.E013*D011/H-YH/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
