ABRI expected to spearhead democratization<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The country's oldest living general, Gen. (ret)
\nAbdul Haris Nasution, said yesterday that in coming years the
\nArmed Forces' (ABRI) should be at the forefront of
\ndemocratization.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers at the Cut Meutia
\nMosque in Central Jakarta, Nasution said current ABRI leaders
\nhave a greater opportunity and capability to carry out the task.<\/p>\n
\"They are more educated and well-trained than ABRI leaders of
\nmy time,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"And I believe they will do better than us in leading the
\npeople and the country toward democracy,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Nasution was commenting on a statement by J. Kristiadi, a
\npolitical analyst at the Centre for International and Strategic
\nStudies, who said Thursday that the will for political reform in
\nthe country must come from a powerful institution such as the
\nArmed Forces.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi expressed hope in the possibilities ahead describing
\nthe current Armed Forces leaders, with Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nWiranto at the forefront, as an embryo for greater
\ndemocratization in the country.<\/p>\n
Nasution, former chief of staff of the country's joint forces,
\nmaintained that a political will for democratization must be
\nsupported by an ideal system of general elections which he
\nbelieved was not reflected in the current proportional
\nrepresentation formula.<\/p>\n
\"Ideal democracy in Indonesia can be achieved only when the
\npeople themselves elect candidates to the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR), instead of having them appointed through a
\nproportional system,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nasution, speaker at the provisional People's Consultative
\nAssembly and the Gotong Royong People's Consultative Assembly
\nfrom 1966 to 1972, said the district system, in which voters
\ndirectly nominate their candidates, would guarantee that
\ndemocracy is upheld.<\/p>\n
\"A legislator, elected through the district system, cannot be
\nexempted from the House by any House leader as he or she will
\nonly be held responsible to the voters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nasution said the district system also guaranteed that the
\npeople and their aspirations were really represented in the House
\nand the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Under the current proportional system, voters elect one of
\nthree political parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party
\n(PPP), or the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
The available 425 seats in the House are then allocated
\nproportionally to the three parties according to the number of
\nvotes.<\/p>\n
The remaining 75 seats in the 500-seat House are allocated for
\nthe Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
Nasution, however, doubted that the five MPR factions -- the
\nthree political factions, the Armed Forces and the Regional
\nRepresentatives -- would all agree to adopt an electoral system.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not really sure that all MPR factions will support the
\nestablishment of the district system,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that he had long proposed the use of a district
\nsystem, yet failed to obtain approval from the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
The newly inducted 1,000 members of the MPR will convene in
\nMarch to establish the 1998-2003 State Policy Guidelines,
\nlegislate decrees on state affairs and elect the president and
\nvice president. (imn)<\/p>",
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