"Corruption has not vanished but has even spread. It has happened not only in the centers of power but has entered into the social system. Today we are practicing democracy with apprehension," he said here on Sunday before thousands of party cadres at a roll call for readiness ahead of the legislative elections on April 9.
Paloh said besides corruption the Indonesian nation is also facing demoralization, adding as a nation Indonesia has often been beaten in competition with other countries.
"We are still weak with regard to national discipline, national spirit and solidarity. That is our weakness," he said.
Due to the issues competition in Indonesia has so far been transactional and pragmatic.
To improve the conditions he said Indonesia must first have a more visionary national leader.
"A national leader who has strong leadership and who can lead in a clear direction," he said.
Paloh said Indonesian people must have spirit and desire to consolidate their common ideal of creating a just and prosperous nation.
He said to achieve that changes must be made so that Indonesia would become an advanced nation and free of corruption.
And "restoration would strengthen our ideal and capabilities. We wish to strengthen the system again including our ideology. That is what NasDem means by restoration," he said explaining about the partys slogan.
He admitted that conducting restoration was not an easy job as it would take energy, time and even, if necessary, life.
"That is why we have deliberately established a political party that we named NasDem. This is our tool of struggle to make changes in Indonesia," he said.
On the occasion Paloh appealed to all party cadres totaling 16 millions to be resolved to build a better, prosperous and more respected nation.
"We may not just remain idle. We must not talk only but we must improve all the systems that exist," he said.
More than hundred thousand cadres from across the regions in the country attended the gathering.
On the occasion Surya Paloh also inducted board members of party branches across Indonesia.
The partys secretary general Patrice Rio Capella meanwhile said that although the party is a new party it could show through the eent that it has already had an orderly organizational structure with solid cadres who were ready to make the party to win in the upcoming elections.
He said the roll call was also intended for consolidation to meet the elections.
On the occasions the party also introduced some of its legislative candidates that would compete in the next election.
One of the candidates, Ahmad Sahrono, from North Jakarta, said the partys legislative candidates have been named and solid.
reporting by syaiful hakim
(H-YH/A014)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
