Committee to amend 1945 Constitution

Committee to amend 1945 Constitution

JAKARTA (JP): A working committee of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) agreed on Thursday to propose amendments to 10
articles in the 1945 Constitution which will limit the power of
the president.

The most noteworthy amendment proposed is the limiting of the
presidential and vice presidential posts to two five-year terms.

According to Article 7 of the current Constitution, the
president and vice president may hold office for an initial term
of five years, after which they can be reelected an indeterminate
number of times.

Critics and legislators have said that the article was
deliberately misinterpreted or abused by Indonesia's two former
presidents in order to stay in power.

Sukarno, the country's founding president, and Soeharto held
office for respectively 22 years and 32 years.

Critics also said that chapters in the Constitution enabled
the former presidents to perpetuate their control of the country
in a "constitutional manner".

The committee also agreed to revoke the legislative power of a
president as stipulated in Article 5 and give the power to the
House of Representatives.

Committee members said this amendment would mean a law could
become effective after endorsement by the House, and would be no
longer dependent on the president's approval.

According to the amendment, a law will automatically become
effective if it is not signed by the president within 30 days of
the House's approval.

The committee said the amendment would maintain the right of
the president to make laws, but that he or she would not be able
to force the House to deliberate and endorse them.

The committee also agreed to reduce presidential prerogatives,
including the privileges of appointing diplomats and granting
amnesties and awards.

The amendment to Article 13 and Article 14 of the Constitution
stipulates that the House's opinion must be taken into
consideration by the president before diplomats are appointed,
and before the sentences of prisoners are commuted or an amnesty
granted.

Article 15 of the Constitution, which stipulates the president
has privileges to confer awards and medals has also been amended.

The amendment states that the future conferring of awards will
be regulated through a law.

The conferment of medals is an annual tradition held at the
State Palace in conjunction with Indonesia's independence
anniversary.

This year's ceremony was notable for the exceptionally high
number of medals presented.

President B.J. Habibie conferred in August meritorious service
stars on 107 people, including many public figures from his inner
circle.

Habibie also conferred in August last year the country's
highest honor -- the Bintang Republik Indonesia medal -- on his
wife Hasri Ainun Besari.

The proposed amendments will be brought to the Assembly
plenary meeting for endorsement.

After the plenary session, which is scheduled to end on Oct.
21, the committee will also revise other articles from the
Constitution. It will deliberate a draft on direct presidential
elections and another draft on the evaluation of state
institutions, including the Assembly, the Supreme Advisory
Council and the Supreme Audit Agency. (byg)