ABRI expected to spearhead democratization

JAKARTA (JP): The country's oldest living general, Gen. (ret) Abdul Haris Nasution, said yesterday that in coming years the Armed Forces' (ABRI) should be at the forefront of democratization.

Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers at the Cut Meutia Mosque in Central Jakarta, Nasution said current ABRI leaders have a greater opportunity and capability to carry out the task.

"They are more educated and well-trained than ABRI leaders of my time," he said.

"And I believe they will do better than us in leading the people and the country toward democracy," he added.

Nasution was commenting on a statement by J. Kristiadi, a political analyst at the Centre for International and Strategic Studies, who said Thursday that the will for political reform in the country must come from a powerful institution such as the Armed Forces.

Kristiadi expressed hope in the possibilities ahead describing the current Armed Forces leaders, with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto at the forefront, as an embryo for greater democratization in the country.

Nasution, former chief of staff of the country's joint forces, maintained that a political will for democratization must be supported by an ideal system of general elections which he believed was not reflected in the current proportional representation formula.

"Ideal democracy in Indonesia can be achieved only when the people themselves elect candidates to the House of Representatives (DPR), instead of having them appointed through a proportional system," he said.

Nasution, speaker at the provisional People's Consultative Assembly and the Gotong Royong People's Consultative Assembly from 1966 to 1972, said the district system, in which voters directly nominate their candidates, would guarantee that democracy is upheld.

"A legislator, elected through the district system, cannot be exempted from the House by any House leader as he or she will only be held responsible to the voters," he said.

Nasution said the district system also guaranteed that the people and their aspirations were really represented in the House and the Assembly.

Under the current proportional system, voters elect one of three political parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), or the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The available 425 seats in the House are then allocated proportionally to the three parties according to the number of votes.

The remaining 75 seats in the 500-seat House are allocated for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.

Nasution, however, doubted that the five MPR factions -- the three political factions, the Armed Forces and the Regional Representatives -- would all agree to adopt an electoral system.

"I'm not really sure that all MPR factions will support the establishment of the district system," he said.

He said that he had long proposed the use of a district system, yet failed to obtain approval from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The newly inducted 1,000 members of the MPR will convene in March to establish the 1998-2003 State Policy Guidelines, legislate decrees on state affairs and elect the president and vice president. (imn)