Governors may be directly elected<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Besides accommodating the demand for a direct presidential
\nelection, the amendment of the 1945 Constitution will also open
\nthe possibility of directly electing governors, regents or mayors
\nin regions, an official said.<\/p>\n
Burhanuddin Aritonang, the coordinator of the Ad-Hoc committee
\nin charge of amending the Constitution, made the comment in Medan
\non Tuesday following a discussion on the legality of the draft
\namendment.<\/p>\n
The discussion was attended by representatives of the North
\nSumatra regional administration, local legislative council,
\nsocial organizations, non-governmental organizations,
\nuniversities, students and the media.<\/p>\n
The discussion of the legality of the amendment was aimed
\nmainly at gathering input from various components of the
\ncommunity in regions throughout the country.<\/p>\n
Commenting on proposals for the direct election of governors,
\nregents and mayors, Burhanuddin said that although the idea was
\nstill in the form of discourse, it did not shut out the
\npossibility of realizing it.<\/p>\n
Based on Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution, governors,
\nregents and mayors as leaders of the regions are chosen
\ndemocratically, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Because they are elected democratically, there is a
\npossibility that they are elected directly. But if the proposal
\nis included in the Constitution, a new law will be needed for its
\nimplementation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In regard to the demand for a direct presidential election,
\nmost factions in the Assembly had expressed their intention to
\napprove it, he said, adding that what was needed was only more
\nlobbies before it was included in the Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"If the amendment is approved in 2002 and is followed by the
\napproval for its laws in 2003, the direct presidential election
\ncan be applied in 2004,\" he said.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin expressed his gratitude to
\nthe Ad-Hoc committee for its willingness to respond to the
\ncommunity's aspiration.<\/p>\n
\"We are grateful that the demand for the reform of the
\namendment to the 1945 Constitution has been accommodated by the
\nAssembly,\" the governor said.<\/p>",
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