LIPI against limitation on candidates<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) are
\ncalling on the House of Representatives (DPR) to allow all
\npolitical parties contesting the 2004 elections to nominate their
\nown presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
They also suggested that legislative and presidential
\nelections be organized all at the same time.<\/p>\n
The presidential election bill, being deliberated by the
\nHouse, stipulates that only parties or coalitions garnering 20
\npercent of the legislative seats are allowed to field candidates
\nin the country's first ever direct presidential election in 2004.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, whose ministry drafted
\nthe bill, has defended the stipulation, arguing that the
\nregulation was aimed at ensuring that the elected president would
\nhave the backing of the House, thus creating a strong government.<\/p>\n
However, LIPI analysts have rejected that argument, saying
\nthat the legitimacy of a president chosen through a direct
\npresidential election came from the people, not from House
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
They also said that the position of the president under the
\namended Constitution was relatively powerful as he or she could
\nnot be impeached without the approval of the Constitutional
\nCourt.<\/p>\n
"Therefore, presidential candidates should not always come
\nfrom parties that have a lot of seats in the House. Even without
\nthe House's support, a president elected directly by the people
\nwould have a strong legitimacy," LIPI chairman Umar Anggara Jeni
\nsaid during a hearing with the House's special committee
\ndeliberating the presidential election bill here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Umar was accompanied by fellow LIPI researchers Dewi Fortuna
\nAnwar, Syamsuddin Haris and Ikrar Nusa Bhakti.<\/p>\n
The hearing was presided over by committee vice chairman Yusuf
\nMuhammad of the National Awakening Party (PKB).<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has selected April 5,
\n2004 as the date for the legislative election. It has also
\nannounced that the two-phase presidential election would be held
\nbetween June and August 2004.<\/p>\n
More than 230 political parties have registered with the
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights and all have pledged to
\nparticipate in the 2004 general election.<\/p>\n
There has been speculation that with so many participants, it
\nwould be difficult for any presidential candidate to garner the
\nmajority vote needed to form a government.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin has criticized the 20 percent requirement, claiming
\nthat it did not have a political or legal reason.<\/p>\n
All political parties contesting the elections should be
\nallowed to nominate presidential candidates, he said. "Should
\nthere be a limitation, it should be two percent," he said,
\nreferring to a stipulation in the 1999 Election Law, which was
\nreplaced by the 2003 Election Law.<\/p>\n
"The electoral threshold is two percent. Therefore political
\nparties have to secure at least two percent of the House seats to
\nnominate presidential candidates," he said.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin also said that the elections of the president and
\nlegislative members had to be held simultaneously to cut short
\nthe period of political tension.<\/p>\n
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, meanwhile, emphasized that lawmakers had
\nto uphold fairness and that a regulation should not be designed
\nmerely to get rid of competitors.<\/p>\n
The LIPI experts also suggested that all presidential
\ncandidates declare their wealth to enable the public to elect
\nnon-corrupt figures.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lipi-against-limitation-on-candidates-1447893297",
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