PKS Starts to Screen 2014 Presidential Candidates
Monday, 21 May, 2012 | 15:43 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has began the selection process for 2014 presidential candidates. “We are already in the second phase, that is, establishing criteria,” said PKS spokesman Mardani Ali Sera on May 20.



The national selection team called the Team of 20 has already implemented the first phase of identifying the mechanism and procedures, Mardani said. The National Selection Team comprises of members of the Central Advisory Council, Operational Board (DPP) and Heads of several divisions of the DPP, Head of Central Syariah Board and a number of PKS figures.



He added that the Team 20 has prepared a set of criteria but the candidates will be decided by the party’s Syuro Advisory Council. “The candidates may come from outside the party as long as they fulfill the criteria.” he said.



PKS's selection of presidential and vice presidential candidates will not depend on individual persona but on the collective performance of the candidate's party to ensure that the proposed candidates have full support from all party's cadres. “At the same time, every leader at the national level is given opportunity to contribute their ideas in setting the criteria for candidates.” Selected candidates from parties must possess capability and integrity, he added.



The final selection of candidates will be carried out after the general election, however, the party does not rule out the possibility to pick before the election. “If the party is sure it already has the right person,” Mardini said.



The establishment of candidate criteria is expected to be complete in the next 6 months before the Syuro Council picks the names.



PKS's Secretary General, Anis Matta confirmed that they are soon to finalize the criteria, adding that the selection of candidates will be based on their popularity, integrity, electability and also persona.



Anis said Presidential Election Law needs to be revised to give more opportunities to candidates with high integrity to advance to the 2014 election ring. "There are many candidates from small parties who can't participate. It is the people, not political parties, who need president.”



He asked to eliminate the presidential threshold, or at least to bring down to the same level as parliamentary threshold to 3,5 percent votes so that each party represented at Senayan can propose the candidates who won. ***