LEADERSHIP

Who do young Balinese believe is best suited to the job of Bali’s future governor? As it turns out, their demands are extremely reasonable. "It’s enough that he or she is free of corruption, collusion and nepotism and was not too heavily involved in the last regime. They are the most important conditions," pronounces Wid Kis, before adding "But we shouldn’t be too demanding. These days, its practically impossible to find somebody who is absolutely perfect." According to him, the person need not be from any particular class or caste, only that they should be proven to be clean.

In much the same vein, Kadek Suparmi stipulates that as well as being corruption-free, "the future governor should be somebody who is genuinely concerned about poverty in Bali, and that doesn’t mean selling poor peoples’ land for resort developments," she quips. They should also be capable, she believes, of taking Bali in a more modern, more progressive direction, and that therefore the most suitable candidate would be someone from intellectual circles, be they high-caste or otherwise. "Intellectuals tend to be more objective when faced with difficult problems," she argues.

As well as leader who is opposed to corruption and objective, the young people I spoke to also hope that reformasi will bring Bali greater freedom to organise its own, local affairs. Regional autonomy, they say, should be more strictly enforced, and there should be less central interference. "I am more than confident that Bali is ready to administer itself autonomously. If autonomy is enforced as it should be, I am convinced that Bali could progress to become another Singapore," says Wid Kis.

A BETTER FUTURE

"Tourism is going to keep on growing and so is the number of tourists coming to Bali. Young Balinese should be ready to be actors, to play important roles. It’s not enough for them just to be onlookers," announces Arya Weda. He believes that the growth in tourism will also push forward the local entertainment industry - especially considering the role of the local arts in the tourism industry - and that it is here that young people should be looking to become involved. "The future looks likely to hold more opportunities for young people in the entertainment industry. And broadcasting is part of that too. We should be looking to Jakarta in setting our standards," says the popular DJ whose other job is modeling.