Government pushes for open list electoral system<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite challenges from major factions in the House of
\nRepresentatives, the government pushed on Monday for a
\nproportional electoral system and an open list of candidates,
\nsaying that it would improve the accountability of future
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a meeting with the House's special committee
\ndeliberating the election bill, Minister of Home Affairs Hari
\nSabarno criticized the old proportional system for offering
\nvoters "a cat in the bag", in which voters do not know who their
\nrepresentatives are.<\/p>\n
Hari said that the proportional system was not democratic as
\nit allowed the central board of a political party to pick its
\npreferred cadres as legislative candidates.<\/p>\n
"It is hoped that the open-listed proportional system will
\nenable people to elect their representatives more independently,"
\nHari said at a meeting presided over by committee chairman
\nAgustin Teras Narang of PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
The top three factions, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar and the United Development
\nParty (PPP), said at an earlier meeting that they preferred the
\nexisting proportional system.<\/p>\n
Between them, the factions hold 331 out of the 500 House
\nseats.<\/p>\n
Hari said the combination of a proportional system and an open
\nlist of candidates would ensure that minority groups would be
\nrepresented at the House.<\/p>\n
With the combination, the ballot would have the names of the
\nlegislative candidates attached to it.<\/p>\n
In the past, Indonesia adopted a proportional system, which is
\nwidely criticized for distancing constituents from their
\nrepresentatives. The legislators are prone to struggling for
\ntheir respective party's interests, instead of their
\nconstituents'.<\/p>\n
Major factions opposed using a proportional system and an open
\nlist because it was too complicated.<\/p>\n
"Technically, it would be difficult for the voters because the
\nsize of the ballot would be much bigger and complicated," Teras
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The meeting on Monday also talked about the independence of
\nthe General Election Commission (KPU), the electoral area, the
\nnumber of House seats and police and military members' right to
\nvote.<\/p>\n
Hari said that the secretariat of the KPU should be managed by
\na secretary-general who is a state administrator.<\/p>\n
"The secretariat of the KPU is a subsidiary and assisting body
\nto the commission," Hari said.<\/p>\n
He said the government had to provide the secretariat with
\npersonnel, financing and an infrastructure that was used
\nthroughout the country, from the central to the regional
\nadministrations.<\/p>\n
The minister said the elections in 2004 would not proceed
\nsmoothly without the assistance of regional administrations, who
\nknew the infrastructure used in the 1999 election.<\/p>\n
Regarding the police and military personnel's right to vote,
\nHari, who is a former military officer, said the right to vote
\nrelates to a person not an institution.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-pushes-for-open-list-electoral-system-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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