Change to law on presidency opposed

Change to law on presidency opposed

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono and former
vice president Sudharmono are opposed to proposals for a law to
regulate the presidential institution.

They argue that the 1945 Constitution and the People's
Consultative Assembly decrees pertaining to the presidential
institution are clear enough, and the brewing debate on the need
for the law is pointless.

"Let's follow the constitution. Besides the written laws,
Indonesia also has unwritten conventions on presidency,"
Moerdiono was quoted as saying by Antara.

Debates about the need for a law on the presidential
institution usually rage ahead of a presidential election. The
upcoming presidential election is scheduled for March 1998.

Prior to the 1992 election, chief of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) incurred President Soeharto's wrath for proposing
that presidential terms should be limited to two.

The 1945 constitution states that the President is elected for
a five-year term of office, and can be re-elected.

The debate centers around whether the constitution suggests
the president can be re-elected by the People's Consultative
Assembly many times, or only once.

Concerns that the current ruling on the presidential
institution gives unlimited authority to the head of state were
unfounded, said Moerdiono.

The House of Representatives supervises the President, he
said.

"If the House is of the opinion that the President has
violated the constitution and failed to implement the guidelines
of state policy, it may ask the People's Consultative assembly to
demand the President's accountability," he said.

The 1945 Constitution allows for a strong and stable
government. Fears that those demanding the new law intend to
weaken the presidential institution only undermines stability, he
said.

Sudharmono, who was vice president from 1988 to 1993, said
that he does not want to see any changes to laws on the
presidential institution.

"I personally believe that what we practice now is in
accordance with the constitution," Sudharmono told reporters
after addressing a seminar at Pancasila University.

Sudharmono currently chairs the Advisory Council on
Propagation of state ideology, Pancasila.

The constitution not only regulates the presidential
institution, but also sets criteria on the presidential
candidate, he said. (pan)

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