Jakarta – The new election system and the massive campaigns of some prominent politicians may have caused women legislative candidates to lose their confidence before struggling to participate in the polls.

Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) Muslimin Nasution said Friday that confidence was all women needed to win legislative seats.

"I see these women losing their confidence now, just like in the previous elections," Muslimin said during the National Gathering of Indonesian Women Intellectuals themed "Boosting Womens' Opportunities in the National Leadership Democracy System" in Jakarta.

Organized by ICMI, the event which will last until Saturday, features about 50 women intellectuals from across the country.

Muslimin said women still had the opportunity to win legislative seats, but the new election mechanism depended on many votes.

"Now, many people are tired with parties, current legislators and many policies which are against the public interest. Voters need a change and women can bring a change for a new beginning for Indonesian government," he said.

"We are facing tense conditions with an unpredictable political situation now. Women legislators can bring more peace and relief."

He challenged the idea that the new system would deprive women of their chance to win more votes. "I think women can secure more than 20 percent of the vote and probably the election results will not so different from the previous polls," he added.

However, Marwah Daud Ibrahim, a woman legislative candidate, rose to the challenge. According to her, women candidates have to take on many difficulties to compete with men candidates.

"This is the reality; men have been involved in politics since a long time ago, while politics is a new thing for women. Women look like kindergarten kids and men are like university students," Marwah said.

Marwah, however, is quite sure that women could compete with men in the polls. "Today women are different from the women in the last decade. Now they are smarter and braver," she said.

Aida Vitayala, a gender expert from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), said that most women legislative candidates are newcomers and are little known.

"Besides, there are still many problems, such as lack of budget and the unequal domestic burden between women and men," Aida said A number of ICMI female members will contest the April 9 legislative elections under the banners of the Golkar Party, the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate party (PAN). (naf)