Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court's ruling to let independent candidates run in regional elections has gained momentum with prominent citizens expressing their support for the ruling.
But leaders cannot agree on whether the ruling should be immediately imposed or not.
Former speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Amien Rais, said he supported the independent candidate ruling because it would help re-balance large party domination.
Amien said the decision must be supported because allowing independent candidates to run in local elections would improve Indonesia's democratic system.
"Anyone who has knowledge can be trusted and is able to win the people's heart," he said. "They must be given the opportunity (to contest local elections)."
He said he expected the emergence of new leaders if the larger political parties were no longer dominant. "It (democracy) will be better if everyone's given the same opportunity," he said.
Amien also said the minimum electoral threshold for independent candidates to run in local elections should be set at 5 percent. The current minimum threshold is 15 percent for candidates endorsed by political parties.
Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Akbar Tandjung, said he agreed with Amien. "Everyone has the right to contest local elections whether the person is endorsed by a political party or not," Akbar said. He said it was a constitutional right for every citizen.
Akbar also said the Constitutional Court had made a courageous decision by annulling some points in article 32 of the 2004 law on regional administrations, which allowed independent candidates to run in local elections.
Chief patron of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Taufiq Kiemas said independent candidates be screened first before being allowed to run in local elections.
He said their loyalty to the unitary state of Indonesia should be proven and said they must support pluralism or they should be prohibited from running in the elections. "The technical prerequisites, such as the minimum electoral threshold, can come later," Taufiq said.
Political observer Tommi A. Legowo from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the Court's ruling was acceptable in principle. But he said political parties should still be able to produce viable leaders despite the public's want for independent candidates.
"Political parties must reform themselves through professional career development and by issuing policies that side with the interests of the public," Tomi said. "By doing so, they will get party candidates who are much better than any independent candidate."
Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also chairwoman of PDI-P, said the Constitutional Court ruling could not be implemented right away because the 2004 law needed to be amended first.
"Indonesians always want something in an instant," she said. "What do we want do with this country if (the people) keep behaving like this? "As a former president, I would like to say that we need to have a vision (for the future)."