REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - The ruling Democrat Party is ready to name a professional as its presidential candidate in the election in 2014, according to party`s advisory board member Marzuki Alie. He said Indonesia actually has a lot of potential candidates but they have so far been shielded by political party oligarchy.

"We are ready to name not only a candidate from political parties but also from professionals," he said after opening the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly meeting here on Monday.

He refered to Chinese leader came from pure professionals without  any personal interest in business. Citing examples of leaders from among professionals Marzuki referred to among others Zulkifli Zaini, current president director of state-owned Bank Mandiri, finance minister Agus Martowardojo and Emirsyah Satar, current president director PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk.

He said the chairman of the advisory board, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has also said that the party`s presidential candidate were open not only from political parties but also from professionals. "We are an open party," Marzuki said.

The Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting agency in its release on the results of a survey on challenges to be faced by presidential candidates in the 2014 election says that a lot of popular figures fail to win public favor because they have been considered not meeting national quality criteria.

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