PPP seeks House support for electoral reform<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) faction
\nreceived orders from the PPP's executive board yesterday to seek
\nsupport in the House of Representatives for its \"initiative bill\"
\nto amend the country's electoral laws.<\/p>\n
A team from the Moslem-based party, led by Ali Hardi
\nKiaidemak, submitted the document to the House's PPP faction,
\nwhose chairman, Hamzah Haz, promised to consult other factions
\nand make the bill \"a collective product\".<\/p>\n
\"We thank the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction for
\nits support of this initiative bill, and we'll proceed by
\nconsulting other factions,\" Hamzah was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
For the past several months, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum has complained of fraud during elections, and pledged to
\npush for reforms.<\/p>\n
During the Jan. 5 celebration of the party's 23rd anniversary,
\nIsmail Hasan said the executive board would instruct its
\nlegislators to push for the establishment of laws to improve
\ngeneral election procedures.<\/p>\n
The PDI, the other minority party that shares the PPP's
\ncomplaints, supported the move, but the ruling Golkar was not
\nthrilled.<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy chairman Ismael Hassan said changes in the
\nelectoral laws will \"destroy the implementation of the 'fiesta of
\ndemocracy' which has been proceeding well\" in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The term \"fiesta of democracy\" is used widely here to describe
\nthe general elections.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted Ismael as saying in Pontianak on Thursday that
\nGolkar does not have the slightest intention to change the
\nelectoral laws. \"These 'fiestas of democracy' we have held were
\nthe... safest in the world,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The DPR's fourth faction, the Armed Forces, took a more
\ncautious stance. Chairman Suparman Achmad, as quoted by Media
\nIndonesia, suggested yesterday that the PPP postpone their
\ninitiative.<\/p>\n
\"It would be better if the PPP used the available time to
\nprepare for the approaching general elections (in 1997),\" he
\nsaid, adding that it would take at least 16 months for the DPR to
\ndeliberate such a bill.<\/p>\n
\"And it does not even have the government's approval,\" he
\npointed out. \"If the government objects, then the bill won't be
\ndeliberated.\"<\/p>\n
Hamzah tried to justify the PPP's move yesterday on the
\ngrounds that the 1988 and 1993 Guidelines for State Policies call
\nfor better general elections and greater roles for the election
\ncontestants, namely the PPP, PDI, and Golkar.<\/p>\n
Besides, he said, \"the PPP will not push for anything strange
\nor completely new\".<\/p>\n
\"What we will be proposing, instead, are issues which are
\noften discussed and problems for all of us,\" he said. \"There's
\nnothing in the bill which could disrupt the general elections
\nbecause it's for the good of us all.\"<\/p>\n
Reforms<\/p>\n
According to DPR statutes, a bill to initiate an amendment of
\nlaws must be submitted by at least 20 legislators from more than
\none faction.<\/p>\n
The PPP will push for reforms on the preparations, the
\nimplementation and the supervision of general elections.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto instructed the Indonesian Institute for
\nSciences (LIPI) last year to examine the electoral system and
\npropose changes if necessary. Among the subjects studied was
\nwhether Indonesia should replace the existing proportional
\nrepresentative system with a first-past-the-post or district
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
While Golkar said it was ready to compete based on any system,
\nboth the PPP and PDI have maintained that a stronger monitoring
\nmechanism must be implemented for general elections to proceed
\nfairly. The two minority parties also insist that more efforts be
\nmade to prevent cheating and manipulation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, LIPI chairman Soefjan Tsauri said on Thursday that
\nthe institute is ready to submit the results of its study to
\nPresident Soeharto.<\/p>\n
\"We are just waiting to meet the President,\" Soefjan said.
\n(swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-seeks-house-support-for-electoral-reform-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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