Politicians demand amendment delay<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The constitutional amendment process is still far from
\ncomplete, and if those who oppose any constitutional change have
\ntheir way it will never be completed.<\/p>\n
On Monday, about 20 legislators from the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the country's largest
\npolitical party, went to the party's headquarters in Lenteng
\nAgung, South Jakarta, to demand it stop the amendment process.<\/p>\n
Another sign of trouble for the amendment process came from
\nVice President Hamzah Haz, who stated on Monday that contentious
\narticles should not be resolved through a vote during the Annual
\nSession of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in August.<\/p>\n
\"It is better to delay the debate on the contentious issues in
\nthe amendment process rather than to take decisions through a
\nvote,\" he said after a Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n
Hamzah chairs the country's third largest political party, the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
The PDI Perjuangan legislators urged the party's central board
\nto propose a national referendum on the constitutional amendment
\nbefore the process was allowed to continue.<\/p>\n
\"We urged the board to make a national referendum on the
\namendments the party's policy,\" legislator Amin Aryoso, who led
\nthe group, said.<\/p>\n
\"The people have the final say on whether they want to
\ncontinue with the amendments or not, and that is why we should
\nask them first before deciding anything,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Joining Amin were other nationalists in the party, including
\nAbdul Madjid and Imam Mundjiat.<\/p>\n
Their campaign, if it gains support from other PDI Perjuangan
\nlegislators and from other parties, could prove a major blow to
\nthe ongoing amendment process, which was to be finalized at the
\nAssembly's Annual Session.<\/p>\n
The amendment process was already extended for a year when the
\nAssembly failed, during its Annual Session last year, to reach a
\nconsensus on direct presidential elections and the composition of
\nthe MPR.<\/p>\n
The 20 PDI Perjuangan legislators were received by the party's
\ndeputy secretary-general, Yacobus Mayong Padang, who promised to
\ndeliver their demand to chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri at the
\nparty's national working committee meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Sources inside the party's board said they had been notified
\nabout the planned arrival of the legislators a few days ago.
\nHowever, some of the central board's executives members refused
\nto meet with the group.<\/p>\n
\"It is uncomfortable to talk with such respected men as Pak
\nAmin and Abdul Madjid about this issue,\" one source told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan has been plagued with internal rifts, including
\non issues regarding the constitutional amendments.<\/p>\n
While Amin and Abdul Madjid are campaigning for the stoppage
\nof the amendment process, many other party legislators continue
\nto work on the amendments.<\/p>\n
Megawati has been sending mixed signals about her position on
\nthe constitutional amendments. Overall, she is seen as a
\nreluctant supporter of the constitutional amendments.<\/p>\n
During a meeting of party leaders several weeks ago, Megawati
\ncomplained about the amendments but reportedly became irritated
\nwhen someone in attendance suggested the party block the
\namendment process.<\/p>\n
When addressing an alumni group from Gadjah Mada University,
\nMegawati suggested the formation of an independent commission to
\noversee the amendment process. But she also suggested a national
\nreferendum before the amendments were finalized.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/politicians-demand-amendment-delay-1447893297",
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