62 candidates named for Constitutional Commission
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The People's Consultative Assembly has named 62 candidates for the Constitutional Commission, whose duty it will be to assess the amendments made to the 1945 Constitution.
An ad hoc committee set up by the Assembly's Working Body to conduct the selection, said here on Wednesday the candidates were picked from among 445 applicants with varied educational backgrounds.
The deadline for registering for the commission was Sept. 20, after having been extended from Sept. 15.
Ad hoc committee secretary Sofwan Chudorie said the committee examined the documents of the 445 applicants to determine whether they meet all the administrative and legal requirements.
He said the committee accepted only those applicants who not only met the administrative requirements, but who also brought other pluses to the table, such as proven track records and expertise in their own fields.
Sofwan, also a legislator of the National Awakening Party (PKB), said the committee would hold a public hearing on Sept. 26 to select the 31 people who will form the Constitutional Commission.
"We will examine the candidates's capacity and integrity during the public hearing," Sofwan said after the ad hoc committee's closed-door meeting here on Wednesday.
During the public hearing, each candidate will present their vision of the Constitution, which has been amended several times between 1999 and 2002.
The Constitutional Commission is expected to be inaugurated on Oct. 6.
Among the 62 candidates are noted constitutional law experts Sri Sumantri of Jayabaya University and Dahlan Thaib, economists Sri Edi Swasono of the University Indonesia and Sri Adiningsih of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, and human right activist Albert Hasibuan.
The Assembly decided to establish a Constitutional Commission during its 2002 Annual Session, in response to criticism of the amendments made to the Constitution.
Since the end of former president Soeharto's New Order regime in May 1998, amending the Constitution has been seen as a key to fostering a modern democracy in the country.
However, the amendments made to the Constitution have come under attack, with critics accusing Assembly factions of pursuing their own vested interests in drafting the amendments.
The Assembly has rejected calls by non-governmental organizations and political analysts for the establishment of an independent commission to draft the amendments.
The Constitutional Commission will have seven months to assess the amendments already passed by the Assembly.
Ad hoc committee member Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin of the United Development Party (PPP) faction said the public hearing on Sept. 26 was vital for determining whether the commission candidates had a vision for the Constitution.
Pataniari Siahaan, another member of the ad hoc committee, said the educational background of the candidates was not the most important consideration.
"The most important thing is that they understand the Constitution and have a good concept of how to amend it," he said.