Bill on politics
Bill on politics
From Media Indonesia
As a fraction of the Indonesian society, however small, the
Indonesian Women Scholars Association (ISWI) feels obliged to
extend some comments concerning the bill on politics.
First, ISWI is of the opinion that civil servants (PNS) should
not become members/executives of political parties. It is true
that as Indonesian citizens, PNS have the right to join an
organization (political or nonpolitical), however, their position
as a public institution is subject to some limitation:
* PNS still have their right to vote.
* If a civil servant is nominated as candidate for a
representative by a political party and is elected, then he/she
should take a leave without pay, and all his/her rights and
responsibilities as a civil servant be suspended during the
political term of office.
Second, ISWI is against the idea of a floating mass. Any
citizen who is not linked to special regulation in the context of
his/her position as a member of a public institution, such as PNS
or the Armed Forces (ABRI), has the right to join an association
in line with Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution.
Third, the new political law (the bill still under debate)
should abolish the establishment of an advisory institution,
which provides administrative or technical guidance to political
parties or mass organizations, the job of which is held by a
minister or other government official, both at the central and
provincial levels. Such an institution is highly contradictory to
autonomy of political parties and/or mass organizations, and also
against the rights to associate. Past experience has shown that
the existence of the advisory institution would open the
opportunity for the (government) institution to interfere with
the internal affairs of the political parties or organizations
Fourth, ISWI views that the number of ABRI representatives in
the House of Representatives, People's Consultative Assembly and
provincial legislative councils needs to be reduced in conformity
with the reform spirit.
SUWARNI SALYO, (Chairperson)
SRIYATOEN HADIMARTONO, (Secretary)
ISWI, Jakarta