Backroom deals may spoil amendment process<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The public would not likely be satisfied with the amendments to
\nthe 1945 Constitution, if it were done by the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR), because it would be marred by
\npolitical compromises, according to several political pundits.<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais revealed on Thursday that a group
\nof senior figures wanted the process of constitutional reform to
\nbe stopped altogether, but reformist groups in society had
\ndemanded the drafting of a completely new constitution.<\/p>\n
\"What is being done by Assembly members is a manifestation of
\nthe expectations of everyone. It is in the middle of the extreme
\nopinions,\" Amien claimed at the opening of a two-day review
\nseminar on the drafting of the next constitutional amendment.<\/p>\n
The amendment process is being carried out by the Assembly's
\nad hoc committee for amendments (PAH I).<\/p>\n
Speculation has been rife that the legislators are trying to
\nmake political deals among themselves in anticipation of gaining
\nadvantages in the 2004 general election, especially as several
\npoliticians who are not members of PAH I, have reportedly been
\nactively participating in the meetings.<\/p>\n
The first meeting was hosted by old-guard politician Achmad
\nTirtosudiro who is also chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council
\n(DPA) and the second one took place at the residence of Jusuf
\nKalla, a senior Golkar figure who is also Coordinating Minister
\nfor People's Welfare.<\/p>\n
Amien, who hosted Wednesday's meeting promptly denied the
\nallegations saying: \"No, we did not talk about deals for 2004.\"<\/p>\n
PAH I chairman Jakob Tobing hailed the fact that other
\npoliticians were attending the meetings, \"because it would help
\ncommittee members by smoothing the way in the amendment process.\"<\/p>\n
A coalition of experts and non-governmental groups have
\nrepeatedly called for the establishment of an independent
\ncommission, wholly separate from the legislature, to amend the
\nconstitution. But legislators have consistently and firmly
\nrejected any such proposal.<\/p>\n
During Thursday's session on the amendment, pundits
\nrecommended that the Assembly should, at the very least, not be
\ngiven authority to change or amend anything that is concerned
\nwith presidential elections.<\/p>\n
In reference to a proposed change in the presidential
\nelections, experts said that if presidential candidates failed to
\ngarner more than half of the total votes in a country-wide first
\nround election, then there must also be a country-wide second
\nround election instead of granting the Assembly the authority to
\nelect the president.<\/p>\n
They were commenting on article 6A of the amendment draft of
\nthe Constitution.<\/p>\n
One alternative says that if the presidential and vice-
\npresidential candidates -- who will run as a two-person team --
\nfailed to collect more than half of the votes, the Assembly would
\nhave the authority to elect the president and vice president.<\/p>\n
Another proposal calls for the election's second round in
\nanother direct presidential election with only the top candidates
\nfrom the first running.<\/p>\n
Former police chief Awaluddin Djamin said the proposal for a
\ntwo-round, direct presidential election stemmed from a distrust
\nof the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"Why should there be an alternative to give the Assembly the
\nauthority to elect the president?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
A member of the General Election Commission (KPU) Ramlan
\nSurbakti concurred, saying that a direct presidential election
\nwould preserve the pluralism of the nation.<\/p>\n
Other participants, including Hadar Gumay of the Center for
\nElectoral Reform (Cetro), Fadli Zon of the Institute for Policy
\nStudies (IPS), Tarman Azzam of the Indonesian Journalists
\nAssociation (PWI), agreed with a direct presidential election.<\/p>\n
\"If we trust the people, there is no choice but a direct
\npresidential election. So, there can be no election by the
\nAssembly,\" Hadar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/backroom-deals-may-spoil-amendment-process-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}