Objections up against limited candidacy<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Opposition has increased against limiting the number of political
\nparties eligible to field candidates in 2004 for Indonesia's
\nfirst direct presidential election.<\/p>\n
Lecturers from Jakarta-based University of Indonesia (UI) and
\nYogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM) said here on Monday
\nthat limiting the number of candidates would undermine the
\npurpose of a direct presidential election system.<\/p>\n
The draft presidential election bill, now being deliberated by
\nmembers of the House of Representatives (DPR), stipulates that
\nonly parties or coalitions that have gained at least 20 percent
\nof legislative seats would be allowed to field presidential
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
\"All political parties must be given equal opportunity.
\nRequirements for the presidential candidacy must not be based on
\npercentage (of votes),\" UGM rector Sofjan Effendi said on Monday
\nat a hearing with the House special committee deliberating the
\nbill.<\/p>\n
Fajrul Falaakh, also from UGM, emphasized that presidential
\nelections should be open to all political parties.<\/p>\n
Lecturers from UI did not specifically reject the 20 percent
\nlegislative seats required for political parties to be eligible
\nto contest in the presidential election, but suggested that
\nlawmakers take the newly amended 1945 Constitution as their main
\nreference.<\/p>\n
\"Such a stipulation is not mentioned in the 1945
\nConstitution,\" said UI rector Usman Chatib Warsa.<\/p>\n
The government, which drafted the presidential election bill,
\nhas sought to limit the number of political parties participating
\nin the elections in order to have a strong, legitimate
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
\nand minor political parties have also expressed their objection
\nagainst the restriction.<\/p>\n
About 230 political parties have registered with the Ministry
\nof Justice and Human Rights and have vowed to participate in the
\ntwo-phase presidential election next year.<\/p>\n
Some analysts have expressed a concern that it might be
\ndifficult for any political party to gather enough votes to form
\na strong government, if all political parties were allowed to
\ncontest in the election.<\/p>\n
This concern, however, has been dismissed by other analysts as
\nthe constitution allows a second round in the election, in which
\nthe parties that have gained the two highest number of votes in
\nthe first round can contest.<\/p>\n
Speculations are rife that the insertion of a 20-percent quota
\nwas an attempt by major parties to retain their power.<\/p>\n
All but the two biggest factions in DPR -- the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the combined
\nGolkar and military\/police faction -- have clearly rejected the
\nrestriction.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan and Golkar, with 153 and 120 seats in the
\nHouse respectively, were the only parties that had more than 20
\npercent of the seats.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, experts from UI wanted the presidential
\nand general elections be organized sequentially, saying that
\nseparate elections would help voters concentrate on a single
\nelectoral process at a time.<\/p>\n
Fajrul, however, said it would be irrational for a poverty-
\nstricken country like Indonesia to have too many elections, and
\nsuggested that the presidential and general elections be held
\nsimultaneously.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sofjan Effendi emphasized that the presidential
\ncandidates needed to have the vision and the courage to take
\nunconventional measures in bringing the country out of the
\nprolonged multidimensional crisis, and thus, that the educational
\nbackground of the candidates was critical.<\/p>\n
The rector also disclosed that his Yogyakarta-based university
\nwould welcome any presidential candidate to campaign on campus.<\/p>\n
He added that any candidate had to be ready to present their
\nprograms before both students and academicians, and should be
\nprepared to debate with other candidates.<\/p>\n
The most important point, he said, was that no candidate must
\nbring their cadres to the debate.<\/p>",
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