OBSERVER: ANAS FIT FOR DEMOCRAT PARTY CHAIR

Jakarta, March 27 (ANTARA) - Political observer and researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Dr Hermawan Sulistyo, said Anas Urbaningrum was fit to become the leader of the Democrat Party.

"I think Anas is capable and the right person. He is smart, behaves well and has had sufficient political experience," he said to ANTARA here on Saturday.

The ruling party plans to hold a congress in May to among other things choose a new leader.

Several figures have already expressed their readiness to run for the party's leadership such as Andi Mallarangen, the current minister of youths and sports, Marzuki Alie, the House of Representatives speaker and Anas.

"I think Anas will be good for a regeneration in the Democrat Party leadership," he said.

A political observer from the Sugeng Sarjadi Syndicate, Dr Sukardi Rinakit, meanwhile said Anas's expression of readiness to lead the Democrat Party should be appreciated.

"Young politicians must start raising their flags within their parties or in the community," he said.

Senior researcher from the Center for Indonesia National Policy Studies, Hanny Senewe, said she hoped Anas would be able to bring a new atmosphere by being the leader of the Democrat Party.

"So they can act in a more modern way in the parliament and in responding to national or global political issues," she said.

She said she also hoped young politicians' courage would also inspire other nationalist parties, namely the Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggel (PDIP) and the Golkar Party.

"We indeed need more young politicians to bring significant changes in the behavior of big parties to improve the country's progress towards a modern, respectable, civilized state based on Pancasila ideology and the 1945 Constitution to achieve the ideals of the country's proclamation of indepence on August 17, 1945," she said.

Hanny also hoped that senior members of the Democrat Party would be willing to give a bigger opportunity to young politicians to take over.