Bill on legislative body composition confuses election commission

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Friday that it was still confused about exercising its verification authority to replace legislators recalled by their parties with new candidates.

"How can we verify legislative candidates to replace recalled legislators, if in 1999, election constituents voted for parties and not for legislators," KPU Deputy Chairman Ramlan Surbakti said.

Under the newly endorsed bill on the composition of legislative bodies, legislators could be recalled if they were unable to carry out their daily duties continuously, could not meet requirements as legislators any longer, violated the legislative code of ethics or committed a crime.

Ramlan said the bill allowed the KPU to verify those legislative candidates to replace recalled legislators.

But the newly endorsed bill also requires the KPU to verify candidates who would replace incumbent legislators based on their ballots, which did not exist in the 1999 election.

Once the KPU finishes the verification process, it will recommend the replacements to House leaders, who will then seek final approval from the president.

The newly endorsed bill will be applied to the new legislative bodies, but it stipulates that articles on recalling legislators were also applicable to the House of Representatives in session, he said.

A number of legislators have been dismissed by their parties but they refused to quit the House, saying that the dismissal was illegal.

With the articles of the newly endorsed bill on the composition of legislative bodies, they must now be replaced with new legislators.

Ramlan said KPU might consider verifying legislator candidates to replace recalled legislators based on their party ranking.

Meanwhile, National Awakening Party (PKB) leader A.S. Hikam said that his party would be prudent in implementing the articles on recalling legislators.

"We think that a recall cannot be made if it is not necessary," he said.

But, he stressed, legislators did not only represent the people, but also parties.

"Therefore, if our legislators frequently violate the party's rules, they must be recalled as a last resort," he said.