Amendment must protect regional interests: Observer
Kurniawan Hari and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Public discourse on amendments to the 1945 Constitution must not ignore the regions who have demanded the inclusion of regional representatives through the setting up of an independent commission.
Saldi Isra of Andalas University in Padang said on Friday that the interests of the regions must be guaranteed in both the process and the substance of constitutional amendments.
"People from the regions must have the opportunity to take part in the constitutional amendment," Saldi told The Jakarta Post.
Saldi, who has joined a coalition of nongovernmental organizations campaigning for a new constitution, said the establishment of an independent commission, whose members include regional representatives, would guarantee that the interests of the regions were protected.
According to Zaldi, the substance of the Constitution must protect the interests of the regions and specifically differentiate between the authority of the central government and that of the regions.
"Articles in the Constitution that specifically mention the authority of the regional areas will prevent dubious interpretation," said Saldi.
He strongly criticized the amendment process in the past three years which was carried out by an elite circle in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in Jakarta.
The third amendment last year endorsed the establishment of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), which, along with the House of Representatives, would create a bicameral system.
The DPD would not only lead to the creation of a bicameral system, but protect the interests of regions as the DPD would have authority to outline regulations on autonomy.
However the idea on the establishment of the DPD had been facing tough challenges in the past few weeks.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Indonesia's most influential political party, which had agreed to the third amendment last year, had argued that the DPD would threaten the existence of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.
It also demanded that the establishment of the DPD endorsed last November be scrapped.
"The regional representatives council would be given wide- ranging authorities to deliberate the bill on regional autonomy, which could bring the autonomy drive too far," Tarto Sudiro, the head of the ruling party's research and development section, told reporters on Friday.
Principally, Tarto said, his party supported the amendment to the Constitution, except for several crucial parts of the Constitution, including the Preamble.
"The amendment of the preamble will eventually dissolve the unitary state of Indonesia, and we should prevent this," he added.
PDI Perjuangan suggested that the amendment should be carefully deliberated since there are pros and cons behind it.
"If there is a deadlock, the Constitution Commission, which is formed through a referendum, must be given the mandate to go ahead with the amendment.
"If there is a deadlock, the presidential decree, as a means to settle the problem, should be avoided so as not to spark controversy among the public," he said.