ABRI expected to spearhead democratization

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)