62 candidates named for Constitutional Commission<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly has named 62 candidates for
\nthe Constitutional Commission, whose duty it will be to assess
\nthe amendments made to the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
An ad hoc committee set up by the Assembly's Working Body to
\nconduct the selection, said here on Wednesday the candidates were
\npicked from among 445 applicants with varied educational
\nbackgrounds.<\/p>\n
The deadline for registering for the commission was Sept. 20,
\nafter having been extended from Sept. 15.<\/p>\n
Ad hoc committee secretary Sofwan Chudorie said the committee
\nexamined the documents of the 445 applicants to determine whether
\nthey meet all the administrative and legal requirements.<\/p>\n
He said the committee accepted only those applicants who not
\nonly met the administrative requirements, but who also brought
\nother pluses to the table, such as proven track records and
\nexpertise in their own fields.<\/p>\n
Sofwan, also a legislator of the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB), said the committee would hold a public hearing on Sept. 26
\nto select the 31 people who will form the Constitutional
\nCommission.<\/p>\n
\"We will examine the candidates's capacity and integrity
\nduring the public hearing,\" Sofwan said after the ad hoc
\ncommittee's closed-door meeting here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During the public hearing, each candidate will present their
\nvision of the Constitution, which has been amended several times
\nbetween 1999 and 2002.<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Commission is expected to be inaugurated on
\nOct. 6.<\/p>\n
Among the 62 candidates are noted constitutional law experts
\nSri Sumantri of Jayabaya University and Dahlan Thaib, economists
\nSri Edi Swasono of the University Indonesia and Sri Adiningsih of
\nGadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, and human right activist
\nAlbert Hasibuan.<\/p>\n
The Assembly decided to establish a Constitutional Commission
\nduring its 2002 Annual Session, in response to criticism of the
\namendments made to the Constitution.<\/p>\n
Since the end of former president Soeharto's New Order regime
\nin May 1998, amending the Constitution has been seen as a key to
\nfostering a modern democracy in the country.<\/p>\n
However, the amendments made to the Constitution have come
\nunder attack, with critics accusing Assembly factions of
\npursuing their own vested interests in drafting the amendments.<\/p>\n
The Assembly has rejected calls by non-governmental
\norganizations and political analysts for the establishment of an
\nindependent commission to draft the amendments.<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Commission will have seven months to assess
\nthe amendments already passed by the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Ad hoc committee member Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) faction said the public hearing on Sept.
\n26 was vital for determining whether the commission candidates
\nhad a vision for the Constitution.<\/p>\n
Pataniari Siahaan, another member of the ad hoc committee,
\nsaid the educational background of the candidates was not the
\nmost important consideration.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is that they understand the
\nConstitution and have a good concept of how to amend it,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/62-candidates-named-for-constitutional-commission-1447893297",
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