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NGOs Community Press Release, 19 June 2009

NGOs Community Point of View for the Third Round of Presidential Candidates Debate 2009

Candidate’s debate last night has indicated the shallow point of view from the candidates in seeing democracy, NKRI (Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia/United State of Indonesia Republic), and Regional autonomy, both in recognizing the problem and responds it. The three candidates were given meaning to NKRI as the fighting space restrictions, not the nation living space. Meanwhile, the regional autonomy is understood as a local administrative affair, not as a socio-ecologic reality of Indonesia as an archipelagic country, as well as the largest maritime countries in the world.

NGOs Community is very concerned about the quality of the way the three candidates see Democracy, NKRI and regional autonomy in the candidate’s debate 2009, at the last round. The Politics imaging has become a treat rather than political ideas that educated the candidates against NKRI, Democracy and regional autonomy.

That point of view has been the ground of reform period, which indicates the deteriorate quality of democracy and environment and has fail to answer the latest issues. This can be seen from the government data that announced a number of 318 Rivers Regional Flow (DAS) with the extent of 3 million hectares, now had a number of 2.7 which in a very critical condition and heavily damaged, and do not get the attention of the recovery. Also the note of Law and Human Rights enforcement that is not less bad. Throughout 2008, The Human Rights National Commission (KOMNAS HAM) has received 4000 cases, and its 60% related to Agrarian conflict and natural resources.

The candidates supposed to reflect on Papua case. Papua is an ambition portrait of the candidates in enforcement the NKRI and regional autonomy. Special autonomy that gives mandates to promote Papua indigenous people now become futile, since it did not followed by a clear implementation. Instead, the special autonomy then followed by increasing of poverty and unemployment, as well as human rights violations, until the elections 2009 held.

The shallow point of view against NKRI and regional autonomy is also visible in the legislative performance, which dominated by the party in power. Indonesian Parliamentary Center (IPC) record the performance of DPR Senayan, in 2008 in passed 44 laws, where the majority related to the region expansion. Only two laws directly related to the fulfillment of the people rights, namely the Law on Public Information and the Law on Micro Business, Small, and Middle. Later, a number of region expansion laws have become a new tap of illegal logging, environmental destruction and human rights violations.

The candidates mentioned the regional autonomy and democracy development is done to achieve the noble goal, namely NKRI. None of the candidates associate the NKRI problem and regional autonomy with the safety and people productivity. If we see the field facts above, those points of views is only a jargon, just like out of the roasted from the fire.

The debate this time, once more can not explain about the mission and vision from the candidates. This can mean two things; first, the inability of General Elections Commission (KPU) organized a debate that is capable to dismantle the candidate’s idea and secondly, the weak vision and mission of the candidates it self in uphold the dignity of the nation for the next five years.

NGO community that consists of 43 NGOs in Indonesia have been observed closely the three round of candidate debate that was organized by KPU. The NGO community called presidential candidate immediately stepping on the ground, taking care Indonesia's in the future not only a jargon and like sing a lullaby to the people. Also is not only a part of heroic fighting spirit in the independence period to holding NKRI. Furthermore, taking care NKRI is a skill and fair treatment in taking care the island diversity, which giving birth the diversity of religious point of view, ethnic, economic choices and political views - in the form of autonomy. People economic that in archipelago basis is the answers of national economy deadlock, which is unfortunately has not seen by the candidates.

To see the exposure quality in the three round of debate; the three candidates have not yet seen having capacity and capability that sufficient to the achievement acceleration the goal of good state. So that the NGO Community called to all Indonesia people to continue creating  contending concept to increase the values of independence and solidarity in order to ensure the security of people's productivity, in the framework to save democracy and NKRI so that stay upright at times that will comes.

Contact persons:

- Riza Damanik (KIARA), HP 0818 77 3515

- Ancient Oslan (Contrast), HP 0813 613 71959

- Berry NF (WALHI), HP 0812 511 0979

- Khalid Khalisah (SHI), HP 0813 111 87 498