Lampung
Post - June 9, 2009
Bandar
Lampung – The Lampung province I regional leadership board (DPD) of the
National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is calling on its members to
block presidential and vice presidential candidates that are pro-neoliberalism.
They are also inviting the people to build a national coalition government for
national self-sufficiency.
This was
conveyed by Papernas Lampung DPD chairperson Rakhmat Husein D.C. in a press
release in the provincial capital of Bandar Lampung, South Sumatra, on Saturday
June 8.
According to
Husein, the three presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2009
presidential elections have now been finalised, namely Megawati Sukarnoputri-Prabowo
Subianto (Mega-Pro), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Boediono (SBY-Boediono) and Jusuf
Kalla-Wiranto (JK-Win).
In the midst
of the uproar surrounding these presidential elections, the discourse on the
issue of neoliberalism has also grown stronger. “It can be said, that the three
presidential tickets who are fighting it out in the presidential elections
reject being linked with neoliberalism or being accused of being neoliberal
adherents”, said Husein.
Despite
this, he said, it is clear that two of the presidential tickets, namely
Megawati-Prabowo and Kalla-Wiranto tickets have taken up the themes of “a
people’s economy and national self-sufficiency”.
This
situation indicates how neoliberalism as an ideology and economic system is
seen as a threat to national economic advancement and the Indonesian people.
“This is a form of anti-neoliberalism against the incumbent presidential
candidate SBY who is pursuing neoliberal practices”, he said.
Thus
Papernas will not be abandoning [the opportunity presented by] the momentum of
the presidential elections. Because, the political [battle] field of the 2009
presidential elections is clearly an arena for the people to fight neoliberal
practices. “Because we believe that the SBY-Boediono ticket are adherents of
the neoliberal road, we will be calling for unity to defeat this ‘neoliberal’
duet”, said Husein.
Papernas, he
said, is also calling on all Indonesian people and the country’s patriots to
defeat neoliberalism. For workers, farmers, the urban poor, intellectuals,
artistic and cultural workers, and even families of military officers and
domestic businesspeople to unite and form a “national coalition government for
national self-sufficiency”.
“There are
two presidential tickets that represent an alternative choice, the two tickets
are JK-Win and Mega-Pro who have explicitly sated that they will build national
self-sufficiency and a people’s economy”, he said.
According to
Husein, there are three positions that continue to be held by Papernas in
determining their political outlook. The three are referred to as the “National
United Tripanji (Three Banners)”, namely repudiating the foreign debt, the
nationalisation of foreign mining industries and building the national industry
(factories). “The resolve of two of the presidential and vice presidential
candidates (Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto and Megawati-Prabowo – Ed.) is in line with our
position.” (n AAN/U-2)
[Translated
by James Balowski. The original title of this report was “Papernas: Block the
pro-neoliberal candidates”.]
