Factions in agreement on independent poll commission<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): All five factions on the People's Consultative
\nAssembly's Ad Hoc Committee I agreed on Wednesday the general
\nelection planned for next May should be held fairly and run by an
\nindependent election commission rather than by the government.<\/p>\n
Marwah Daud Ibrahim, the committee chairwoman, said her
\ncommittee reached the agreement after discussions, lobbying and
\nconsultations over several sessions.<\/p>\n
\"We are all feeling happy that after tough talks in the
\nsessions, consultations and lobby fora, all factions eventually
\nreached the agreement,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said, however, that factions were still divided over the
\nmembership of the election commission.<\/p>\n
The Golkar, Armed Forces (ABRI) and Regional Representatives
\nfactions proposed that the members should represent the
\ngovernment, political parties and the public, while the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and United Development Party
\n(PPP) factions wanted the government to be excluded.<\/p>\n
\"The government should stay out of the election process and
\nthe commission. However, the president should be accountable (for
\nthe poll),\" Chozin Chumaidy of PPP said.<\/p>\n
Ismunandar of PDI said the election had to be run by an
\nindependent commission so it could proceed fairly and in order to
\nprevent vote rigging and other manipulation.<\/p>\n
The draft law on general elections which was recently
\nsubmitted for deliberation to the House of Representatives
\nstipulates that the president must establish an independent
\nelection commission whose members represent the government,
\npolitical parties and the public.<\/p>\n
Marwah said her committee was also still divided over ABRI's
\nrepresentation in the MPR, House of Representatives (DPR), and
\nprovincial and regency legislative councils.<\/p>\n
The PPP faction proposed that ABRI be represented only in the
\nMPR in line with latest public calls for the government to reduce
\nthe military's role in politics to a minimum.<\/p>\n
Endin Sofihara of PPP said his faction believed that ABRI
\nshould continue to play a role in politics but that it should be
\nreduced in line with \"modernization\".<\/p>\n
\"Numerous incidents in the past have given us an important
\nlesson that they had to do with the ABRI's dual function (in
\nsecurity and politics). The time has come for ABRI to reduce its
\nrole in politics,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar and the Regional Representatives said ABRI's current
\npolitical role, including its representation in the MPR, DPR,
\nprovincial and regional legislative councils, should be
\nmaintained since it did not participate in general elections.<\/p>\n
Rully Chairul Azwar of Golkar said ABRI's representation in
\nthe DPR and MPR should be maintained because it had helped
\nimprove the state institutions' performance.<\/p>\n
The committee also agreed the election would be held in May or
\nin June at the latest, saying the poll was urgently needed to
\nhelp solve the political crisis.<\/p>\n
Marwah said all factions were committed to the reform movement
\nand the national political agenda to run a general election as
\nsoon as possible in order to have a democratic government.<\/p>\n
Widodo AS, chairman of the Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee II,
\nsaid his committee also agreed with the planned general election
\nas part of the political reform that should be carried out by
\nPresident B.J. Habibie's government.<\/p>\n
He said that his committee had agreed to make a state policy
\noutline regulating programs that should be carried out by the
\ngovernment until the MPR general session in December 1999. (rms)<\/p>",
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