Bill on legislative body composition confuses election commission<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Friday that it was
\nstill confused about exercising its verification authority to
\nreplace legislators recalled by their parties with new
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
\"How can we verify legislative candidates to replace recalled
\nlegislators, if in 1999, election constituents voted for parties
\nand not for legislators,\" KPU Deputy Chairman Ramlan Surbakti
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Under the newly endorsed bill on the composition of
\nlegislative bodies, legislators could be recalled if they were
\nunable to carry out their daily duties continuously, could not
\nmeet requirements as legislators any longer, violated the
\nlegislative code of ethics or committed a crime.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said the bill allowed the KPU to verify those
\nlegislative candidates to replace recalled legislators.<\/p>\n
But the newly endorsed bill also requires the KPU to verify
\ncandidates who would replace incumbent legislators based on their
\nballots, which did not exist in the 1999 election.<\/p>\n
Once the KPU finishes the verification process, it will
\nrecommend the replacements to House leaders, who will then seek
\nfinal approval from the president.<\/p>\n
The newly endorsed bill will be applied to the new legislative
\nbodies, but it stipulates that articles on recalling legislators
\nwere also applicable to the House of Representatives in session,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
A number of legislators have been dismissed by their parties
\nbut they refused to quit the House, saying that the dismissal was
\nillegal.<\/p>\n
With the articles of the newly endorsed bill on the
\ncomposition of legislative bodies, they must now be replaced with
\nnew legislators.<\/p>\n
Ramlan said KPU might consider verifying legislator candidates
\nto replace recalled legislators based on their party ranking.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Awakening Party (PKB) leader A.S. Hikam
\nsaid that his party would be prudent in implementing the articles
\non recalling legislators.<\/p>\n
\"We think that a recall cannot be made if it is not
\nnecessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But, he stressed, legislators did not only represent the
\npeople, but also parties.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, if our legislators frequently violate the party's
\nrules, they must be recalled as a last resort,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bill-on-legislative-body-composition-confuses-election-commission-1447893297",
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