Govt recommends mixed electoral system<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): A combination of proportional representatives
\nand first-past-the-post systems for next year's general election
\nwill likely reduce the influence of political parties and
\nstrengthen the accountability of elected representatives.<\/p>\n
This is the rationale behind a plan to introduce a mixed
\nsystem by a team of the Ministry of Home Affairs in drafting new
\nelectoral laws.<\/p>\n
Djohermansyah Djohan, a member of the drafting team, said
\nyesterday that with a plural district system, the role of party
\nleaders would be lessened since elected members would be directly
\naccountable to their constituents.<\/p>\n
"Now seems to be the right time to limit the role of party
\nleaders to the minimum. Parties should only be facilitators,"
\nDjohan said on the second day of a three-day regional seminar on
\nComparisons of Election Systems held by the Center for
\nInformation and Development Studies.<\/p>\n
"This system would strengthen the regions' role (in national
\npolitics) because potential legislators would come from among
\nlocal people," he said.<\/p>\n
A reduction in the role of party leaders would mean they could
\nnot discriminately "discipline" their legislators, he added.<\/p>\n
He recalled that legislators elected under the proportional
\nrepresentative system were subservient to the wishes of their
\nparty leaders and not to their constituents.<\/p>\n
Legislators who did not toe the official party line were often
\n"recalled" by their party leaders. Legislators were also not
\nbound by the "domicile rule" as they did not actually have to
\nreside in the district where they were elected, he said.<\/p>\n
All this is likely to change with the draft electoral laws that
\nare expected to be presented to the House of Representatives
\nsoon.<\/p>\n
Djohan said that while the proportional representation system
\nhad its merits, people had become disillusioned with it because
\npast elections "had been filled by undemocratic practices to
\nensure that Golkar gains an absolute majority".<\/p>\n
He maintained that people in rural areas were familiar with a
\nplural system because it was already used in electing village
\nchiefs.<\/p>\n
Based on the proposed system, Indonesia's House of
\nRepresentatives would comprise 550 members.<\/p>\n
Of these, 210 would be elected from districts in Java and
\nBali, and another 210 from outside the two islands. The Armed
\nForces would be allocated 55 seats, down from its current number
\nof 75, while the remaining 75 would be allotted to include
\nrepresentatives from losing parties based on a proportional
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly would have 700 seats -- the
\n550 DPR members; 81 representatives from the regions, with each
\nof the 27 provinces having three representatives; and 69 from
\ngroup representatives.<\/p>\n
Electoral districts would be divided not merely based upon an
\nadministrative district but also depending on how many its
\npopulation numbers.<\/p>\n
Smaller districts, especially ones with few people, would be
\nconsidered as one voting district. But major urban areas like
\nJakarta would most likely be allocated more seats.<\/p>\n
"Jakarta will become one district comprising several
\ncandidates. The allocation of seats for Jakarta and other big
\ncities will be determined by a proportional system," Djohan
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
On the proliferation of political parties -- 46 new ones have
\nregistered with the Ministry of Home Affairs -- Djohan said his
\nteam would propose that each party must have the support of at
\nleast 5 percent of voters in a district.<\/p>\n
This can be done through preliminary vote gathering in which
\neach candidate from a party would have to collect signatures
\nequivalent to 5 percent of the district he or she would be
\ncompeting in.<\/p>\n
To ensure that elections are contested free of "money-
\npolitics" or vote-buying, there would also be limitations on the
\nspending of each candidate.<\/p>\n
The current amount currently being discussed is Rp 50 million
\nfor a candidate. The candidate would be allowed to collect
\ndonations of no more than Rp 1 million from each individual and a
\ntotal of Rp 50 million from corporations.<\/p>\n
Spending of the money must be accounted for to the elections
\nmonitoring committee. (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-recommends-mixed-electoral-system-1447893297",
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