by Mathias Hariyadi

In 2014 the country will vote in two crucial elections: the general elections in April and presidential elections in July. The electorate is discouraged, tired of the "same faces" and calls for a renewal of the ruling class. The Catholic leadership promotes education and calls for active participation in the democratic process.

Jakarta (AsiaNews ) - 2014 will be a crucial year for the future political, social and economic development of Indonesia. The nation is called twice to vote in a few months to renew the parliament and choose the future head of state and his deputy. The general elections of the lower house are scheduled for April 9.  The presidential vote is set for July 9. However, the double appointment comes at a "critical" time in the history of the nation and the electorate dominated by feelings of skepticism and distrust of the ruling class. Many criticize dominance of the "same faces" and hope for a real political renewal. The recent cases of corruption and bad practice that involved politicians, administrators and prominent figures of the institutions, with the approval of the government and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, have heightened the distance between the "Palace and the people," who like never before seem willing to opt for the "lesser evil".

The Indonesian Catholic Church has promoted and continues to offer "political science courses", to prepare citizens to "conscientiously" choose their future leaders as a response to the crisis of politics and the phenomenon of rampant corruption in the public sphere. The parish of the Sacred Heart of Kroya in the Diocese of Purwokerto , in central Java , has organized a meeting aimed in particular at over 50 poor farmers and laborers. The idea is being promoted by Fr. Kristian Handy, President of the Diocesan Commission for the Laity.

The Catholic activists do not limit the course to outlining the candidates for Parliament and the Presidency or their various positions and political ideas.  Instead they also teach participants about their country in geographical, political, and strategic terms, describing the natural resources available in the Archipelago and its hidden potentials. The priests have also appealed to the faithful, urging them to exercise their right to vote as the only way to chart the future of the nation. Every single vote, Fr. Agustinus Dwiyantoro , pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart told AsiaNews, will "change" the face of the country, this is why it is important to "pay attention to the names of the candidates , selecting them according to one's conscience and heart".

The Archdiocese of Jakarta is also holding similar initiatives as explained by the president of the Forum of the Catholic community Vero W. Sulistyo . "We are active in various parishes in [the capital] - explains the Catholic leader - promoting debate and discussions on the most pressing issues and current electoral landscape".  However, she adds, the primary goal is to "encourage the vote", because it is "vital to the future of the nation and even our church".

Father Guido Suprapto , executive director of the Commission for the Laity of the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia ( KWI Kerawam ), explains that the participation of Christians in the life of the nation and its institutions  is important on a "moral and political level". "Each vote - he added - is a crucial step in order to create the future of the nation". Disinterest, abstention and blank ballots - a growing phenomenon, particularly among young people - are "threats" to democratic life and have caused serious damage in the last twenty years.

Indonesia is the world's most populous (Sunni) Muslim nation (86 % profess Islam) and, while maintaining the constitutional principles of basic personal freedoms (including religious), violence and abuse of  minorities is becoming increasingly commonplace. Christians make up 5.7% of the population, Catholics just over 3 %, 1.8 % are Hindu and 3.4 % profess another religion. The country's constitution recognises freedom of religion, but Christians have become the victims of acts of violence and abuse in the recent past, especially in areas where Islamic extremism is well rooted, like Aceh. Catholics are nevertheless an active component of society and have contributed to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when they arise, as was the case in last year's devastating flood.

 

 

• indonesia
• elections
• parliament
• democracy
• catholic
• church
• vote
• education