MPR committee agrees to limit presidential term<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Ad Hoc Committee I of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) agreed on Friday to recommend that a president and
\nvice president can only serve a maximum of two terms, whether
\nconsecutively or not.<\/p>\n
Marwah Daud Ibrahim, who chaired the committee meeting, said
\nthat all factions put their weight behind a draft decree
\nproposing the term limits.<\/p>\n
\"Thank God that this committee succeeded in reaching a
\nhistorical decision,\" Marwah told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"Electing a president in the past has always been an acute
\nproblem for this nation,\" she said, apparently referring to the
\nway the nation reelected Soeharto as president a record seven
\ntimes.<\/p>\n
\"This decision proves that the Assembly is quite open to all
\naspirations,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The proposal will go to the MPR's working committee for final
\napproval. The government of President B.J. Habibie plans to hold
\nan extraordinary MPR session in November to enact a series of new
\ndecrees to accommodate changes brought about by the abrupt
\nresignation of president Soeharto in May.<\/p>\n
The autocratic Soeharto ruled the country for 32 years, and
\neach time he was elected by the MPR without opposition.<\/p>\n
Marwah said the rampant corruption and collusive practices
\nduring the New Order era of Soeharto had a lot to do with
\nSoeharto's lengthy tenure in office.<\/p>\n
\"The situation would have been very different if he had stayed
\nin office for only two terms,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Marwah said the committee agreed that the proposal to limit
\nthe number of terms should apply to President B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"All factions agreed to count Habibie's first term from May
\n21. 1998 until Dec. 1999,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Antonius Rahail of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nfaction said term limits were essential to building a healthy
\ndemocracy. \"We should take a lesson from history. A leader who
\nstays for a long time tends to abuse his power. He will likely
\nresort to repressive means to maintain the status quo,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Andi Matalatta of the Golkar faction said most democratic
\ncountries such as the United States, Japan, Australia and Germany
\nlimit the number of terms a president or prime minister can
\nserve.<\/p>\n
Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution stipulates that a president
\nand vice president serve a term of five years, and they may be
\nreelected after completing the terms. It does not say how many
\nterms a president can serve.<\/p>\n
Those who supported Soeharto's reelection in March, including
\nmany who are now serving in the MPR, argued back then that
\nsetting a limit to the number of terms served was undemocratic
\nbecause it would deprive the people of the right to reelect
\npopular leaders.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. (police) Taufiqurochman Ruki, spokesman for the
\nArmed Forces (ABRI) faction, said the military faction fully
\nsupported the proposed term limit in keeping with the spirit of
\nreform.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP) faction claimed that the
\nproposal to set term limits was its initiative.<\/p>\n
\"We have long proposed the idea, but it was always turned down
\n(by the dominant factions),\" Chozin Chumaidy of the PPP faction
\nsaid. He pointed out that the party had proposed the idea at the
\nlast MPR session in March.<\/p>\n
Ad Hoc Committee I also agreed to propose revoking an MPR
\ndecree that gives virtually unlimited power to a president to
\nprotect the state, Marwah said.<\/p>\n
The decree was enacted in March at Soeharto's instigation but
\nhe never had the chance to invoke it.<\/p>\n
\"All the factions agreed that the decree is obscure and has no
\nreal purpose. We feel this decree makes a president immensely
\npowerful,\" she said, adding that the extra power could easily be
\nabused if it fell into the wrong hands.<\/p>\n
Ad Hoc Committee I is also discussing three other proposed
\ndecrees, namely on Soeharto's accountability report, on an
\ninvestigation into Soeharto's wealth, and on the concept of a
\npresidential mandate.<\/p>\n
Marwah promised that the committee would complete its work by
\nSept. 30. (rms)<\/p>",
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