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People with disabilities want quota of legislative candidates
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Equal opportunity: Julian Sulistianto works at his desk in Bank Mandiri’s call center unit. He is one of the bank’s disabled employees. At present, Indonesia’s largest lender in terms of assets employs 41 people with disabilities. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
G
ufron Sakaril, chairman of the Indonesian People with Disabilities Association (PPDI), has said he hopes revisions to the nation’s electoral laws will include the right of representation for people with disabilities.
He hoped that the amendments would regulate the representation of people with disabilities in the House of Representatives and Regional House of Representatives (DPRD).
Gufron suggested a 15 percent quota of legislative candidates from every political party to be allocated for people with disabilities in the 2019 general election.
(Read also: Organizers vow disability-friendly elections)
"[We want] a legislative candidates' quota of 15 percent. The number is lower than the quota for women's representation [in the House] of 30 percent, because more than 50 percent of the population is women," said Gufron on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.
He also asked for the same commitment to be shown in the executive branch of the government. He said the capabilities of people with disabilities were equal to any other candidates.
"Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln could become president, the same as Gus Dur. So there is no problem with the capabilities [of disabled people]. It is a matter of opportunity," he added. (mrc/ary)
