"We think that the marine resources have not yet been maximally tapped for the welfare of the people," Baijuri, a noted community leader in Lebak, said here on Sunday.
He said that whoever is elected in the upcoming July 9 presidential election should be able to exploit the countrys marine resources for the prosperity of the Indonesian people.
"We are sad to see our marine resources and a number of islands being annexed by other countries," he said.
Baijuri said that so far the government had not yet been able to cultivate the countrys big marine potential.
Therefore, according to Al Idrus, another Lebak community leader, the next president is asked to take firm steps in protecting the countrys marine resources.
He said that the president so far had not yet taken stern measures against fish theft in Indonesias waters and annexation of the countrys islands.
"We hope that the next president will exploit the marine resources and protect outlaying islands from being annexed by neighboring countries," he added.
There are now two presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs, Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla and Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa, who will contest the July 9 presidential election.
The Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla duo is supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the National Democrat Party (NasDem), the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the Peoples Conscience Party (Hanura) with 207 seats or 36.96 percent of the House of Representatives (DPR)s 560 seats.
The Prabowo-Hatta duo is supported by the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra), the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party, the Prosperous Justice Party, the United Development Party (PPP), and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) with 292 seats or 52.14 percent in the parliament. ***1***
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(U.SYS/A/A014/F001) 08-06-2014 14:25:56
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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