Health requirements for presidential hopefuls vague, poll body claims

Lilian Budianto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 04/03/2008 1:35 AM  |  Headlines

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has asked the House of Representatives to provide clear definitions of health requirements for presidential candidates.

KPU chairman Abdul Hafiz said Wednesday the laws should include details of the physical and mental health standards to avoid multiple interpretations by the parties involved.

The bill on presidential elections, which is being debated in the House, only says presidential candidates must be physically and mentally healthy.

The ambiguous definition sparked a debate between the KPU and presidential candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in 2004. The KPU later disqualified Gus Dur, who has impaired vision, for health reasons, prompting the former president to sue the poll body in the Central Jakarta District Court.

The KPU then adopted health standards it drew up in conjunction with the Indonesian Medical Association.

Abdul said the KPU would not influence the House's decision on whether to allow candidates with a physical disability to contest presidential elections.

Health and education issues look certain to take center stage during the deliberation of the presidential election bill.

Three major factions -- the National Awakening Party (PKB), Golkar Party and Unity Development Party (PPP) -- want provisions preventing non-university graduates and the physically disabled from running in presidential elections to be dropped from the bill.

Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa of Golkar Party said it was time the country moved on from the prolonged debate about minimum education and health qualifications for candidates.

"The most important thing is not the technical qualification but the quality of candidates," he said.

"We should be focusing instead on candidates' leadership, their vision and their mission."

Agun said candidates should have to present their policy platforms and cabinet lineup, as well as clarify their position on high-profile and controversial issues.

"They should have to tell the public how they perceive controversial issues, such as Ahmadiyah, and have the courage to defend their position in public debates," he said.

Ahmadiyah is a Muslim group deemed heretical by the Indonesian Ulema Council.

Lukman Hakim Saifuddin of the PPP said the candidates would have to prepare a five-year project plan, including a year-by-year breakdown of their programs.

"The candidates must be able to present their project plans to the public to make sure they know the programs well, even if they are drafted by their campaign teams," he said.

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