Appointees to play major role in presidential election

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political observers warned on Tuesday that regional and interest group representatives, along with the Indonesian Military (TNI), could wield the balance of power in the next presidential election.

Ichlasul Amal, rector of the Gadjah Mada University, said that to ensure a democratic presidential election regional and interest group representatives in the People's Consultative Assembly should be elected through direct votes rather than be appointed.

Ichlasul, who is also a professor of political science at the university, pointed out that the New Order regime had used the two groups, which were appointed by the president, to maintain its power.

"The New Order regime exploited the two groups as its most effective tools to maintain power," Ichlasul said in a discussion on Tuesday to mark the opening of a bureau of The Jakarta Post in Yogyakarta.

The military and the two groups constitute 238 of the 700 members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), while the other seats are filled by elected legislators in the House of Representatives (DPR).

The MPR will elect a president and vice president in a general session scheduled for November.

TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto has stressed that the military would not play a back-seat role in the presidential election, but would actively take part in deciding the nation's leadership.

Separately, visiting U.S. political scientist William R. Liddle said in Medan, North Sumatra, that the representatives of the regions will likely support Golkar, as the ruling party has managed to maintain its grip on provinces outside Java.

The 135 regional representatives in the MPR are elected by provincial legislatures.

Liddle predicted that the interest group representatives, however, which are given 65 seats, would likely favor Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Maybe most of them will support Megawati, because they are not elected by the government," he said.

Liddle suggested that TNI stay neutral in the presidential election, saying it would encourage democracy to further flourish in the country.

"It would be better for TNI not to influence the election process," Liddle said.

In a televised live talk show, National Elections Committee (PPI) chairman Jacob Tobing said members of the interest groups would be decided by the General Elections Commission (KPU) after the completion of the vote counting.

However, the law on the composition of the MPR, DPR and provincial legislatures says that interest groups propose their own representatives to the House.

The law also regulates that each of the country's 27 provinces will send five regional representatives. The provincial legislatures will decide the members.

Membership of the MPR is ratified by a presidential decree, the law says.

Coalition

Later in the day, a plenary meeting of the National Mandate Party (PAN) sustained earlier statements of PAN chairman Amien Rais that it would never form a coalition with Golkar, "with or without (Golkar's presidential candidate) B.J. Habibie," a PAN executive said.

Bara Hasibuan, chairman of PAN's international division, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that until the MPR general session slated to take place in November, "PAN will remain an independent opposition" which may or may not unite with other parties.

Until Tuesday night PAN had not announced which parties it would consider forming coalitions with.

Bara said the decision was based on a "realistic" perspective given PAN's standing in provisional results of the polls. "We will not persist on Pak Amien becoming president," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) maintained its lead in the provisional votes tally. As of 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday, the nationalist-oriented party won 16,550,770 votes for the House, 16,516,980 for the provincial legislatures (DPRD I) and 15,374,940 for mayoralty or regency candidates (DPRD II).

The National Awakening Party remained a distant second with 8,283,798 (House), 8,318,388 (DPRD I) and 8,218,942 (DPRD II). Ruling Golkar was third with 7,319,455 (House), 7,291,985 (DPRD I) and 6,989,483 (DPRD II).(23/prb/swa)