Dahlan Declines to Comment on Dishonest Tag

Jakarta (Antara) - State enterprises minister Dahlan Iskan has refused to comment on a survey in which he has been listed among dishonest candidates. "Up to them, I don't know, up to them," said Dahlan, one of the participants of the ruling Democrat Party's convention for selection of a presidential candidate, after attending a national meeting on accountancy and government financial reporting at the Ministry of Finance here on Thursday. The minister stated that he did not want to react to a survey that rated him low in honesty. "Pak Surya Paloh is ranked third (in honesty), right? Well, great. I was not included, right?" he added. On September 8, the Indonesian Voters Institute (LPI) published the results of its survey on presidential and vice presidential candidates considered the most honest by national television, radio, print, and online journalists¿with each of the four groups consisting of 45 respondents. According to LPI, the qualitative survey was aimed at empowering Indonesian voters to choose their next president in next year's election. Out of the 27 presidential and vice presidential candidates included in the survey, Jakarta governor Joko Widodo (popularly known as Jokowi) ranked first (with a score of 8.6), followed by former vice president Jusuf Kalla (6.8), former president Megawati Soekarnoputri (6.8), media mogul Surya Paloh (5.9), former constitutional chief justice Mahfud Md (4.8), businessman Harry Tanoesoedibjo (4.3), former economic minister Rizal Ramli (4.1), military figure Prabowo (3.9), military figure Wiranto (3.9), and chief economic minister Hatta Rajasa (3.7). Among those who scored low were First Lady Ani Yudhoyono (2.7), chief security minister Djoko Suyanto (2.8), Regional Representatives Council chairman Irman Gusman (2.9), trade minister Gita Wirjawan (3.0), Dahlan Iskan (3.0), religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali (3.0), house speaker Marzuki Alie (3.1), former military figure Endriartono Sutarto (3.2), former military figure Sutiyono (3.3), and central bank governor Agus Martowardojo (3.3). The process of selecting potential presidential candidates for next year's election is under way, with various survey institutes declaring their results. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not be able to seek reelection because he will have already served two terms as head of state by next year. (*)