Factions split over education requirements for candidates

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 06/05/2008 10:12 AM | National

The debate over whether presidential candidates must have a university education has resurfaced as the House of Representatives deliberates the presidential election bill.

The government's draft bill makes no change to the existing presidential election law, which requires candidates to hold at least a high school diploma only.

The National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) are challenging the draft, proposing candidates for the 2009 election be at least university graduates.

Andi Yuliani Paris of PAN said Tuesday her faction sought stricter education requirements to reflect the country's bid to boost its human development index.

"A country's progress is measured by this index, which has education as one of its variables. This requirement can be seen as an effort to motivate people to better appreciate education," Andi told a hearing with the government.

Andi acknowledged that developed countries no longer included education as a requirement for their political leaders.

"But we have to realize that people there go to school for longer than we do," she said.

All past and present Indonesian presidents hold a university diploma, except Soeharto and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Although the PKS is also proposing a bachelor's degree as the minimum education level for presidential candidates, the faction underlines that previous presidents seeking reelection should be exempt from the requirement.

"We propose a higher education level because we want to develop Indonesia. But at the same time we must take the current political dynamics into consideration. If we do not make any exceptions, factions at the House will perceive the requirement as an attempt to prevent somebody's candidacy," Al Muzammil Yusuf of the PKS said.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), whose chairman and presidential candidate Megawati holds only a high school diploma, opposes the idea.

"Presidential candidates must be literate and understand the nation's problems. These are the basic requirements. The education requirement is irrelevant and will only provoke debate about what kind of education is best for presidential candidates. There is no curriculum specifically designed to solve this nation's problems," said Pataniari Siahaan of the PDI-P.

Pataniari said presidential candidates needed to be able to convince the public they could address the nation's problems.

"And this cannot be measured by education level," Pataniari said.

Other factions, including the Golkar Party, the biggest faction at the House, have accepted the government's draft bill.

But Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa of Golkar said his faction could change its position.

"Right now, we are simply accepting what the government has formulated. Golkar does not want to be distracted by this endless debate," Agun said.

"We actually wouldn't mind if the House decided to set a bachelor's degree as the minimum education level for presidential candidates."

The team deliberating the presidential bill agreed to discuss this issue further behind closed doors. (alf)

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