HEATED ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN INDONESIA

Today, March 16, 2009 Indonesian politics is entering its final stage of legislature election scheduled for April 9. The open campaign starts today. It means that there will be rally campaign in big cities and even villages throughout Indonesia. Political parties will rally support by organizing large group of people to gather in a field and then go around the cities. Usually major political parties will be able to do show-of-force campaign. PDIP (The Democratic party of Struggle) under former president Megawati who has a large support from urban poor always dominate big cities with this kind of show of force. On the other hand the ruling Demokrat party and Golkar party also have large support from the middle class. Another rising party is Gerindra party under Lieutenant general (ret) Prabowo Subianto. His ads on tv quickly make him one of the most popular figure in Indonesia. Hanura party under General (ret) Wiranto is also a strong new party. These two parties perhaps will also rally support by using the same method. Meanwhile rivalry is now not only among parties but also among legislature candidate of the same party. This means that the competition is more complicated and intense. Thus the conflict potential is greater than ever. Meeting these mob is very very dangerous. So you’d better avoid them.

Besides this dangerous political campaign, the more elegant and smart way of campaign has never done by any parties. Not even Amin Rais’ PAN (National Mandate Party) which has strong support from the middle class and the intellectual. So far only Gerindra party is the only one who publish their programs. Recently they put ads on the mass media about their program. It is called rebuilding the greater Indonesia which comprises eight action plan to build prople’s prosperity. The first is rescheduling of foreign loan. The fund that should be for foreign loan repayment will be allocated to finance education, health, food and energy program. The second is saving the country’s wealth to eradicate poverty. It comprises of a set of action such as :

· setting up state - owned enterprises as the spearhead of economic development.

· Stopping the sale of strategic state asset or those controlling interests of society.

· Reviewing all government contract that are detrimental to national interests.

· Enforcing national exporters who enjoy credit facilities from the government to save their fund in domestic banks.

· Building manufacturing industry to gain added value.

The thirs is implementing pro-poor economy. It comprises of a set of actions like the following :

· Setting up of two million hectares of new plantation soil to improve production of rice, corn, soybean, and sugar cane that will absorp about twelve million workers.

· Setting up of four million hectares of plantation for raw material of bio-ethanol that will employ twentyfour million wokers.

· Building fertilizer companies with capacity of four million tonnes.

· Improving capital of micro financial institutions to channel credit for small business.

· Building mass transportation mode.

· Modernizing traditional markets for small business people.

· Imroving per capita income from US $ 2000 to US $ 4000.

The fourth is eight programs for villages that comprises a set of actions such as :

· Village electricity.

· Banks and village finance institutions.

· Clean water for village.

· Village clinic.

· Village education.

· Infrastructure for village and coastal areas.

· Healthy housing for village.

The fifth is strengthening small and medium enterprises. Actions will include :

· Giving priority of bank credit to farmers, fishermen, and small businessmen.

· Banning channeling of government - bank credit to build luxurios housing and apartment, and other luxurious projects.

· Protecting traditional market business people by prohibiting the building of big department store that are against the law.

· Protecting and fighting for the rights of migrant wokers.

The sixth is energy independence which comprises a set of actions like :

· Building electricity generators with capacity of 10,000 MW.

· Providing energy resources by building oil refineries, bio-etahnol factories, and DME (LPG substitutes) factories.

· Opening 2 – 4 millions of forest for producing ethanol energy as oil substitutes. After seven years of plantation Indonesia will become the biggest exporter of bio fuel.

The seventh program is education and health. There will be a set of actions like the following.

· Cancelling the law on education.

· Eliminating tax on school books and cancelling the annual changes of school books.

· Giving at least one million lap tops to college students per year.

· Regenerating the family planning program.

· Improving the role of family education on wealth and health.

· Posting new fresh university graduates and doctors in slum areas.

· Organizing the white revolution by giving fresh milk to poor children.

The eight program is protecting nature and environment. Actions include :

· Reforestation of fiftynine million hectares of forests and conserving bio diversity and conservation forests.

· Securing and rehabilitating river.

· Preventing and punishing people who destroy nature.

· Protecting flora and fauna.

In my opinion these eight programs are excellent. They really meets Indonesia’a need at present. And so far Gerindra is the only party who publish their program. Last week when they published it Prabowo’s popularity rose significantly. Metro TV who conduct research found that he was the most popular figure last week. But April 9 is legislature election. The result of the election will be determine by many factors. Anything may happen over the last minutes. However, the eight program is a strong weapon for legislature candidate.