Appointees to play major role in presidential election

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)