Compromise seals election bill

Compromise seals election bill

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

High school graduates, suspects, or convicted persons can be
nominated as presidential candidates in 2004 when the country
will organize the first direct presidential elections following a
consensus of the nine House factions on those issues on Friday.

Small parties that did not get any seats in the House of
Representatives (DPR) could field a presidential candidate by
forming coalitions to make at least 5 percent of the total votes.

Those articles were among the crucial issues in the
presidential election bill negotiated by leaders of House
factions from 8 p.m. on Thursday until 3:30 a.m. on Friday at
Santika Hotel in Central Jakarta.

The agreement of the nine factions on those issues ended the
prolonged debate on the bill and paved the way for its
endorsement, scheduled for Monday.

The consensus of factions on the crucial issues was somewhat
surprising as in the beginning the opposing factions defended
their own arguments.

Golkar Party and the Reform faction, which consists of the
National Mandate Party (PAN) and Justice Party (PK), were among
the factions that proposed that a presidential candidate must
have a university degree.

The consensus achieved on Friday instantly drew speculations
that there were backroom deals among the factions.

"It is the best compromise that we can achieve. If we deny
this, it is a lie," Patrialis Akbar of the Reform faction said on
the sidelines of a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs Hari
Sabarno here on Friday.

United Development Party (PPP) faction chairman Barlianta
Harahap said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) and Golkar played a major role in the consensus.

"As long as the consensus does not contradict the
Constitution, PPP will support it," Barlianta added.

Barlianta was referring to PDI Perjuangan which insisted on
allowing high school graduates to run for the presidency and
Golkar which lobbied to allow suspects or convicted persons to
join the presidential race.

PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is a high
school graduate, while Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung is
convicted in a Rp 40 billion (US$4.8 million) graft case.

The House factions also agreed that party leaders who were
elected president or vice president were not required to
relinquish his or her structural position in their respective
party.

The factions agreed that the nomination of presidential
candidates and their running mates must be registered with the
General Elections Commission (KPU) no later than seven days after
the results of legislative elections were announced.

Political parties or coalitions must also submit the program,
vision and mission of presidential candidates with the
registration.

In his report, deputy committee chairman Ferry Mursyidan
Baldan said the bill was now composed of 15 chapters and 103
articles from the previous 17 chapters and 77 articles in the
original draft of the home ministry.

Ferry of Golkar faction added that of the 665 items discussed
by the factions, 115 items were settled through negotiation.

Key Articles in the Bill

Article 5: (1) Contestants in the presidential election
shall be candidates nominated by political parties or coalitions
of parties. (2) The announcement of the candidates shall be made
at the same time as the submission of the names of would-be
legislators to the General Elections Commission. (3)
Registration of candidates must be made after the results of the
legislative elections are announced. (4) Candidates can only be
nominated by parties or coalitions of parties that win 15
percent of seats in the House or 20 percent of the total
legislative votes.

-- Especially for the 2004 election, the parties or group of
parties that win at least 3 percent of seats in the House or 5
percent of total legislative votes can nominate a candidate.

Article 31: (1) Candidates and running mates authorized by
KPU are not allowed to withdraw their nomination. (2) Otherwise,
the parties or group of parties nominating the candidate are not
allowed to nominate another candidate.

Article 35: (9) Candidates may have chance to present their
political platform in the second-round of the election,
facilitated by KPU.

Article 36: (i) Campaigns can be held through public
debate/debate among candidates.