Electoral system needs major overhaul
Electoral system needs major overhaul
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It is feared that preparations for the 2004 general election
may be disrupted if lawmakers fail to reach a consensus on the
presidential election system during the upcoming Annual Session
of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
A member of the General Election Commission (KPU), Mulyana W.
Kusumah, hoped the 10-day MPR session, scheduled to start on
Thursday, would amend Article 6 of the 1945 Constitution on the
presidential election so that the next president would be elected
in a direct election system.
"If the Assembly fails to reach a consensus, the revision of
political laws will be delayed, thereby affecting the
preparations for the general election," Mulyana said, at a
discussion here on Monday.
Mulyana said the amendment expected from the next session, the
third ever made to the Constitution, should include an amendment
to the system of representation and the presidential election.
He warned that the enthusiasm for a direct presidential
election would be hampered if the MPR was unable to complete the
amendment.
Jimly Ashidiqie of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals
Association (ICMI) admitted that the demand for a direct
presidential election had been gaining strength and was
unavoidable.
Jimly, however, said the change of a presidential election
system should not only be for the sake of modification. "It needs
systematic preparation," he said.
He reiterated that any amendment of the Constitution should be
aimed at creating a better presidential system for the country.
According to Jimly, Indonesia had yet to apply a genuinely
presidential system. "In the Sukarno era, we adopted a
parliamentarian system. Since then, it has been a quasi-
presidential system," he said.
Founder of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) Todung
Mulya Lubis, said lawmakers should not only focus on the direct
presidential election, but also on the restructuring of the
entire political system.
He said a direct presidential election was specifically
designed to curb the practice of money politics. "This does not
mean that money politics would disappear, but it would be
reduced," he said.
Todung said more assessment was required before the nation
could decide whether to choose a direct presidential election
because there were a variety of different types of elections.
"If such an amendment could be made this year, revision to the
political laws would follow next year. That would leave us with
enough time before the 2004 general election," he added.
Todung emphasized that it should be the nation that determines
which presidential election system would be adopted.