Political analysts shun district electoral system<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leading political analysts agreed yesterday that
\nproportional representation is the best system for Indonesian
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Harsudiono Hartas, a member of the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council, Matori Abdul Djalil, a legislator of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), B.N. Marbun, a legislator of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI), and Maswadi Rauf, a political
\nobserver, all agreed that the proportional representation system
\nis more appropriate than the first-past-the post system.<\/p>\n
They did conclude however, during a one-day seminar on an
\nIdeal Election System in Indonesia held by the Union of
\nIndonesian Catholic Students, that the current proportional
\nsystem does need to be implemented better.<\/p>\n
Under a first-past-the post system, locally called the
\ndistrict system, each seat in the House of Representatives would
\nhave to be contested in every district, with voters electing
\ntheir representatives rather than the political parties.<\/p>\n
Under the existing proportional representation system, the
\npeople don't vote for individual candidates, but rather for one
\nof the three parties. The seats in the House are then distributed
\naccording to the share of the total vote each has won.<\/p>\n
The discussion was expected to help the Indonesian Institute
\nof Sciences in its research of the best and most applicable
\nelectoral system for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto asked the institute last month to study the
\npossibility of changing the electoral system from the current
\nproportional representation to a first-past-the-post system.
\nSoeharto also asked the institute to review the methods by which
\nArmed Forces officers in the House are appointed.<\/p>\n
Soeharto made his request in response to public debate on the
\nissue and because of charges that democracy in Indonesia is a
\nsham.<\/p>\n
The PDI and the PPP have called for a revamp of the electoral
\nsystem but have refrained from endorsing the district system.
\nThey instead argue for the better supervision and administration
\nof the general elections.<\/p>\n
In the last election, Golkar won 68 percent of the votes, the
\nPPP 17 percent and the PDI 15 percent. Four hundred of the 500
\nseats in the House were divided accordingly. The other 100 seats
\nare reserved for ABRI, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
Harsudiono Hartas said the advantage of the proportional
\nrepresentation system was that even the smallest party could be
\nrepresented.<\/p>\n
The district system is regionally oriented, though the
\nselected representatives are more reliable in terms of the
\nvoters, he said.<\/p>\n
Harsudiono, formerly chief of the armed forces' socio-
\npolitical affairs, also said that the implementation of the
\nproportional system costs less compared to the district system,
\nwhich would have expensive election campaigns.<\/p>\n
B.N. Marbun assured that there is no perfect election system
\nin the world.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S., even though it declared independence more than 200
\nyears ago, still has weaknesses in the implementation of its
\ndemocracy,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
He said the best election system in Indonesia is the
\nproportional system because it prevents conflicts between
\ndifferent religions, ethnic groups and interest groups.<\/p>\n
Marbun, who is also a member of the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights, said that under the proportional system defeated
\npolitical parties could still be represented in the House or the
\nprovincial legislative council.<\/p>\n
He noted, however, that implementation of the proportional
\nsystem should be reviewed so that elections will be conducted
\nfairly.<\/p>\n
Matori Abdul Djalil supports the proportional system but
\nwarned that the government should not side with any of the
\ncontesting parties.<\/p>\n
He stressed the importance of all parties having
\nrepresentatives in the general election committee as witnesses.<\/p>\n
Maswadi Rauf, who also supports the proportional system,
\nlisted the various negatives of the district system.<\/p>\n
He argued that the district system allows the winner in an
\nelection to take it all with small parties getting no seats in
\nthe House.<\/p>\n
\"If the district system is adopted, Golkar will spare no seats
\nfor the PPP and the PDI because it has more followers and money
\nthan the other political parties,\" he explained.(imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/political-analysts-shun-district-electoral-system-1447893297",
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