Amien says no deadlock at MPR Annual Session
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite some articles that have yet to be decided upon, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) expressed a commitment on Tuesday that it would finalize the last part of the latest constitutional amendment process during its Annual Session, scheduled to take place from Aug. 1 through Aug. 12.
Assembly speaker Amien Rais brushed aside fears of possible deadlock in the Annual Session, saying that a series of meetings involving the 11 factions had almost produced a consensus.
"I am optimistic. God willing, that the amendment process will finish (in August) as the factions have almost reached a consensus (on the unsolved issues)," Amien told the press after presiding over a meeting to hear the latest progress in the amendment progress and discuss the preparations for the Annual Session in August.
Only 69 of the Assembly's 90-strong working body, locally known as Badan Pekerja, showed up at the hearing.
Apart from dealing with the amendment process, the Annual Session is scheduled to issue a decree on the guidelines for economic recovery, which is expected to serve as a reference for the government.
Chairman of the Assembly's ad hoc committee for constitutional amendment Jakob Tobing acknowledged that there were still several articles that still had not been agreed upon.
Among the problematic articles were the structure and composition of the Assembly, second round elections, the abolition of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA), the incorporation of a mandatory Islamic law requirement into the Constitution, and the national monetary unit.
The issue of a second round presidential election has become a major concern as such an arrangement could prove prone to back- door wheeling and dealing.
The proposed constitutional amendment requires presidential and vice-presidential nominees to garner more than half of the overall national vote before they can be sworn in as the president and the vice-president.
Assembly factions have yet to reach agreement on what should happen if the nominees fail to collect half of the overall national vote.
One camp insists on giving the Assembly the authority to decide the crucial matter, while another suggests the holding of a second round, or runoff, election.
A member of the ad hoc committee, Baharuddin Aritonang, confirmed that all the factions had agreed on a formula that would avoid a deadlock on the second round issue.
According to Baharuddin, the presidential election would be held between three and six months after the election of members of legislative bodies at both the national and regional levels.
He said that the committee would outline a formula under which only political parties or a coalition that collected 35 percent of the national vote would be allowed to nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
"So, a second round in a presidential election won't be needed," Aritonang said, adding that the clause could be inserted in the political laws.
He added that the issue of the Assembly's structure could be resolved through a vote.