62 candidates named for Constitutional Commission

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.