Direct presidential election possible: Ryaas Rasyid

JAKARTA (JP): A senior government official said on Monday the government would not object to the direct election of the president provided it was supported by Constitutional amendments.

"It's possible... but the 1945 Constitution should be changed," Director General for General Administration and Regional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid said.

Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was reelected on Saturday as the chairwoman of her faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (unofficially called PDI Perjuangan), has proposed a proportional system in the next general election and a direct presidential election in 1999.

The PDI congress in Bali also nominated Megawati as its presidential candidate in the general session in May next year.

Under Indonesia's current electoral system, the president is elected in a general session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) once every five years.

Meanwhile, Kamanto Sunarto, dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia, said the direct presidential election system could be applied without making any Constitutional amendments.

"The direct system would let the MPR know who people want as their president. Then, the remaining task of the MPR general session would be only to adopt the people's choice," he was quoted as saying in Merdeka daily on Monday.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, chairman of the new Crescent and Star Party, has also advocated that the next president should be directly elected by the people in the general election. (rms)