Discord marks KPU's selection of interest group faction
Discord marks KPU's selection of interest group faction
JAKARTA (JP): Discord intensified over the General Elections
Commission's (KPU) selection of groups to be represented in the
interest group faction in the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR).
Suggestions that certain members of the KPU's Team of 15
manipulated the selection process prompted strong protests.
Political observer Riswandha Imawan of Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta went as far as to call on President B.J. Habibie to
take over the selection of the 65 interest group representatives,
despite the lack of a legal basis.
"Despite having no legal basis, the President should take
action to avoid the alleged collusion and nepotism in the
selection ... because the elections commission has lost the
public's confidence," Riswandha told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He said the elections commission was no longer seen as a
prodemocracy and proreform institution, "since most of its
members were busy fighting for their own political interests".
"In such a situation, it will be impossible for the KPU to
conduct the selection fairly and objectively," he said.
Riswandha warned that further glitches ahead of the Assembly's
General Session, scheduled to open on Oct. 1, would cause the
public to lose their patience and create political uncertainty.
"The commission should be reminded that most people have begun
to lose their patience waiting for certain changes, a new era and
an end to the prolonged political and economic crises," he said.
Habibie should circumvent the possible uncertainty by
cooperating with the major political parties to objectively and
fairly select the interest group representatives, he said.
The interest group faction is predicted to play a decisive
role when the 700-seat Assembly meets to elect the country's next
president.
The Indonesian Buddhists Association is among those who have
protested the elections commission's selection process for the
interest group representatives, questioning the nomination of an
unaccredited Buddhist organization as a representative for the
community. Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin and
Indonesian Farmers Association chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo also
blasted the KPU for failing to provide seats for representatives
of the farming community.
Executives of the Indonesian Association of Small
Entrepreneurs and the Ansor Islamic youth organization
demonstrated outside the KPU office on Friday to protest the
selection process.
Although the results of the selection have not been officially
announced, copies of the team's nominations have circulated among
the public.
Abolition
Muchsan, a professor of constitutional law at Gadjah Mada
University, called on the next Assembly to phase out the interest
group faction because multiparty general elections had made it
irrelevant.
He said the next Assembly should make the abolition of the
interest group faction its first order of business.
"The MPR can decide to annul the faction's voting rights in
the General Session and presidential election," he said.
Separately, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said he
supported the idea of phasing out the interest group faction from
the Assembly.
However, he said, "the faction could be phased out only if the
1945 Constitution was amended". He was speaking during a meeting
with traditional and religious leaders in Bandung, West Java, on
Friday.
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation chairman Bambang Wijoyanto
said the interest group faction in the Assembly had become a
burden because of its controversial existence and members.
"The faction should be phased out from the highest legislative
body because most groups in society participated in the recent
elections and their aspirations can be channeled through
political parties," he told the Post here on Friday.
"Many sides will question the KPU's credibility in (selecting)
representatives of the interest groups, (because many of those
chosen) are affiliated with the ruling Golkar Party," he said.
He said the elections commission's reputation had been badly
tainted. "The KPU no longer has the credibility to conduct the
selection since it has turned into a power struggle among minor
parties (represented in the commission)."
Bambang also questioned the alleged collusion in the
nomination of interest groups with links to certain political
parties.
Many interest groups from small-scale companies, cooperatives
and mass organizations, such as the Indonesian Cooperatives
Board, the Association of Young Indonesian Businessmen, the
Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union and the Indonesian
Youth Committee, are linked to Golkar, he said.
He alleged the presence of these organizations in the next
Assembly was aimed at ensuring President B.J. Habibie's victory
in the presidential election. (43/44/rms)
JAKARTA (JP): Discord intensified over the General Elections
Commission's (KPU) selection of groups to be represented in the
interest group faction in the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR).
Suggestions that certain members of the KPU's Team of 15
manipulated the selection process prompted strong protests.
Political observer Riswandha Imawan of Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta went as far as to call on President B.J. Habibie to
take over the selection of the 65 interest group representatives,
despite the lack of a legal basis.
"Despite having no legal basis, the President should take
action to avoid the alleged collusion and nepotism in the
selection ... because the elections commission has lost the
public's confidence," Riswandha told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He said the elections commission was no longer seen as a
prodemocracy and proreform institution, "since most of its
members were busy fighting for their own political interests".
"In such a situation, it will be impossible for the KPU to
conduct the selection fairly and objectively," he said.
Riswandha warned that further glitches ahead of the Assembly's
General Session, scheduled to open on Oct. 1, would cause the
public to lose their patience and create political uncertainty.
"The commission should be reminded that most people have begun
to lose their patience waiting for certain changes, a new era and
an end to the prolonged political and economic crises," he said.
Habibie should circumvent the possible uncertainty by
cooperating with the major political parties to objectively and
fairly select the interest group representatives, he said.
The interest group faction is predicted to play a decisive
role when the 700-seat Assembly meets to elect the country's next
president.
The Indonesian Buddhists Association is among those who have
protested the elections commission's selection process for the
interest group representatives, questioning the nomination of an
unaccredited Buddhist organization as a representative for the
community. Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin and
Indonesian Farmers Association chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo also
blasted the KPU for failing to provide seats for representatives
of the farming community.
Executives of the Indonesian Association of Small
Entrepreneurs and the Ansor Islamic youth organization
demonstrated outside the KPU office on Friday to protest the
selection process.
Although the results of the selection have not been officially
announced, copies of the team's nominations have circulated among
the public.
Abolition
Muchsan, a professor of constitutional law at Gadjah Mada
University, called on the next Assembly to phase out the interest
group faction because multiparty general elections had made it
irrelevant.
He said the next Assembly should make the abolition of the
interest group faction its first order of business.
"The MPR can decide to annul the faction's voting rights in
the General Session and presidential election," he said.
Separately, Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said he
supported the idea of phasing out the interest group faction from
the Assembly.
However, he said, "the faction could be phased out only if the
1945 Constitution was amended". He was speaking during a meeting
with traditional and religious leaders in Bandung, West Java, on
Friday.
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation chairman Bambang Wijoyanto
said the interest group faction in the Assembly had become a
burden because of its controversial existence and members.
"The faction should be phased out from the highest legislative
body because most groups in society participated in the recent
elections and their aspirations can be channeled through
political parties," he told the Post here on Friday.
"Many sides will question the KPU's credibility in (selecting)
representatives of the interest groups, (because many of those
chosen) are affiliated with the ruling Golkar Party," he said.
He said the elections commission's reputation had been badly
tainted. "The KPU no longer has the credibility to conduct the
selection since it has turned into a power struggle among minor
parties (represented in the commission)."
Bambang also questioned the alleged collusion in the
nomination of interest groups with links to certain political
parties.
Many interest groups from small-scale companies, cooperatives
and mass organizations, such as the Indonesian Cooperatives
Board, the Association of Young Indonesian Businessmen, the
Federation of All-Indonesian Workers Union and the Indonesian
Youth Committee, are linked to Golkar, he said.
He alleged the presence of these organizations in the next
Assembly was aimed at ensuring President B.J. Habibie's victory
in the presidential election. (43/44/rms)