Experts doubt PPP bill will get anywhere<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party's (PPP)
\ninitiative to have the electoral law reformed, while laudable, is
\ndoomed to fail because it faces mighty hurdles the minority party
\ncannot overcome, two political observers concluded.<\/p>\n
For one, the party will unlikely get the necessary support to
\nhave the \"bill on initiative\", the instrument which the PPP hopes
\nwill lead to electoral reform being included in the House's
\nagenda, the observers said.<\/p>\n
Political analysts Saefuddin and Soehardjo in a seminar on
\npolitical reflection held here on Sunday said they doubt the PPP
\nwill be able to overcome the various hurdles in time for the 1997
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
The regulations stipulate that a party needs to secure the
\nsupport of at least 20 legislators from two factions to have a
\nbill debated in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Even if the PPP manages to obtain the minimum support
\nrequired, the bill will unlikely get the support of the House,
\nwhich is dominated by Golkar and the Armed Forces. The government
\nwould not likely endorse the bill, they said.<\/p>\n
All legislation enacted by the House of Representatives since
\n1965 has been initiated by the government, lending credence to
\naccusations that the House is merely a rubber stamp for the
\ngovernment. An earlier attempt by the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI), another minority faction in the House, to propose an anti-
\nmonopoly bill, was killed when none of the other three factions
\nwas willing to second it.<\/p>\n
Saefuddin, a law expert from the Indonesian Islamic University
\nin Yogyakarta, said the government and its political grouping,
\nGolkar, have repeatedly objected to the electoral reform bill
\nwhich was submitted to the House in January.<\/p>\n
\"It's true that the PPP has followed the right procedures, but
\nto amend the (electoral) law won't be easy because it would put
\nthe government's political interests at stake,\" Saefuddin said.<\/p>\n
Unhappy with the current electoral law, the PPP is calling for
\na revision of the law to guarantee a fairer election in 1997. The
\nproposal includes allowing all contesting parties equal
\ninvolvement in the electoral process.<\/p>\n
Many political observers said that PPP's move was more of an
\nelection ploy to win sympathy and support, knowing that there was
\nno way the party could obtain even the minimum support required
\nto have the bill debated in the House.<\/p>\n
PPP leaders have said they were counting on the support of the
\nPDI faction in the house to second the bill.<\/p>\n
PDI legislators have not rejected the call to join forces but
\nsome doubt the PPP's sincerity in seeking reforms.<\/p>\n
Soehardjo, a constitutional law expert from Semarang's
\nDiponegoro University, said time was running against the PPP and
\nits bill.<\/p>\n
Between now and the election in the middle of 1997, all the
\nparties will be preoccupied with their preparations, he said.
\n\"Besides, the PPP has not been lobbying the two dominant
\nfactions, Golkar and the Armed Forces, for support.\"<\/p>\n
The PPP has not defined the specific aspects of the electoral
\nlaw it wants changed, he said, adding that \"the substance should
\nbe clearly defined and will take years.\"<\/p>\n
Soehardjo nevertheless praised the PPP's initiative as a good
\nmove to attract more voters in the 1997 election.<\/p>\n
The bill also underlines the wish in some sections of society
\nfor a change in the electoral law which they consider
\nundemocratic, he added. (har\/pan)<\/p>",
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