Indonesian member of parliament Benny Harman from the center-right Democratic Party said on Monday that he would not want a presidential candidate with a pro-US position to win the upcoming election, given Washington's institutionalized record of meddling in other countries' domestic affairs
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2023) Indonesian member of parliament Benny Harman from the center-right Democratic Party said on Monday that he would not want a presidential candidate with a pro-US position to win the upcoming election, given Washington's institutionalized record of meddling in other countries' domestic affairs.
The presidential election in Indonesia is scheduled to take place on February 14, 2024. Incumbent President Joko Widodo has been the leader of the country since October 2014. The Indonesian constitution prohibits him from being elected for the third time.
"I'd like to hope that the presidential (candidate) would not take a pro-American position, but would rather keep the historic neutrality inherent to our country. Taking the side of the United States now would be acting against the stability of ASEAN, to which Indonesia has been and remains committed," Indonesian news agency Antara quoted Harman as saying.
The lawmaker pointed to the uncertainty associated with "what the US's next step in its competition with China would be," adding that some answers could be found in the Monroe Doctrine.
"The doctrine proposed by former US President James Monroe was initially used to oppose European colonialism. Monroe believed that the US could take preventative measures against potential problems as well as act on the defensive ... This position has been exploited by the US to condone a number of policies that, in its opinion, were necessary to take preventative steps within other countries. Our country might as well have been a victim of this doctrine, especially in what concerns key moments of political transition in Indonesia," he added.
The ruling left-wing Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle announced earlier this month that Governor of Central Java province Ganjar Pranowo would be its candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
