by Mathias Hariyadi

The Catholic Church has begun a campaign to study and analyse each candidate’s programme. The prelates urge people to exercise their right to vote and choose the candidate that pursues the “common good”, including religious freedom, peace and pluralism.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – A week before Indonesia’s presidential elections (set for 8 July), the Catholic Church has launched a campaign to study and analyse the proposals presented by each candidate running for the presidency. Despite their neutrality, Indonesia’s bishops have urged the faithful to exercise their right to vote, and look at the candidates’ political record as well as how the three candidates running have pursued the “common good”.

Religious minorities in Indonesia, including Christians and Catholics, have experienced the weeks of campaign in an atmosphere of profound uncertainty amidst threats against the country’s pluralism and national unity and the danger of Islamic fundamentalism.

For this reason the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI) recently released leaflets and brochures to inform voters about the candidates’ record and the issues at the centre of the campaign. For the KWI the litmus test is the pursuit of the “common good”, respect for human rights, the fight against corruption, the separation of state and religion, and religious freedom.

Three candidates are running for the office of the president: outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from the Democrat Party, who chose the Governor of Bank Indonesia Boediono as his running mate; Jusuf Kalla, who is running for Golkar, with former General Wiranto as his vice-presidential candidate; and Setiawati Soekarnoputri Megawati for the Indonesian Democratic Party, who was president between 2001 and 2004 and is running with another former general, Prabowo Subianto, as her running mate.

Fr John Purwanto Pr, from the archdiocese of Semarang and a member of the KWI, has urged voters to choose the candidate who will promote the common good, which includes “freedom, peace and prosperity among the people.”

Fr Dani Sanasi, from the Order of the Sacred Heart, said that two principles should play a key role: subsidiarity and solidarity.

“Every issue should be dealt with a spirit of solidarity” and respect for “human rights”.

Both clergymen insist on the “neutrality of the Church and the clergy”, but urge Catholics “to use their right to vote” without falling for election promises.

According to Frs Purwanto and Sanusi, voters should make their choice by looking at each candidate’s record.

• indonesia
• presidential
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• kwi
• common
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• solidarity
• freedom