Simple majority for president: Researcher<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Political observer Rizal Mallarangeng called on the People's
\nConsultative Assembly to adopt the simple majority principle to
\nend the continuous debate on the second round of voting in the
\nplanned direct presidential elections.<\/p>\n
According to him, the requirement that a presidential
\ncandidate must gain a single majority in the next direct
\nelections was based on a wrong assumption.<\/p>\n
"A candidate who wins a simple majority deserves the
\npresidential position because it is very difficult for candidates
\nto gain a single majority amid in the current multiparty system,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Such a system had long been used in Australia, the United
\nStates and Britain where there was no need for the nation to
\nconduct a second round of elections, he said.<\/p>\n
Pataniari Siahaan, a senior legislator of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Chozim Chumaidy of
\nthe United Development Party and Asnawi Latief of the Ummat
\nAwakening party (PKU) said their parties were ready to contest
\ndirect presidential elections regardless of the single or simple
\nmajorities.<\/p>\n
The three, however, said that a single majority was needed to
\nprove the president elect's legitimacy.<\/p>\n
Rizal, also a researcher with the Center of Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS), emphasized that a single round
\nelectoral system would not reduce the legitimacy of a president
\nelect because his\/her legitimacy would depend not on their
\nability to win the single majority but on their policies and the
\npeople's support.<\/p>\n
"U.S. President Bill Clinton won 41 percent of votes. He was
\npowerful because of clear regulations and strong support," Rizal
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on the snail's pace process of
\nconstitutional amendments, mainly on the presidential election.<\/p>\n
Constitutional law experts have proposed that direct
\npresidential elections be held after the general election to
\nelect legislators in the parliament, in efforts to allow winning
\nparties to name their presidential candidates in the direct
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
Sri Sumantri, a professor of constitutional law at the
\nPadjadjaran University in Bandung, said only parties winning the
\ngeneral election should be able to nominate their candidates in
\nthe presidential election.<\/p>\n
"With such a system, there will be no necessity to conduct a
\nsecond round," he told the Assembly recently.<\/p>\n
Jimly Assidique from the University of Indonesia, was of the
\nsame opinion and said a presidential candidate was not required
\nto gain a single majority to win the presidential election.<\/p>\n
The Assembly endorsed last year an article on a direct
\npresidential election. A presidential candidate, however, is
\nrequired to gain 50 percent plus one of the total votes.<\/p>\n
Factions at the Assembly have been at odds over a crucial
\nissue on what should be done if presidential candidates fail to
\nwin a single majority.<\/p>\n
"I am afraid a candidate elected in first round election fails
\nto win the second vote due to the changing political coalition,"
\nRizal said.<\/p>\n
Pataniari, also a member of the Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee
\npreparing amendments to the Constitution said that his PDI
\nPerjuangan had no objection if the second round was conducted by
\nthe people, instead of the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The PDI Perjuangan faction at the Ad Hoc Committee has
\nproposed the second round to be completed by the Assembly, for
\nunclear reasons.<\/p>",
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