Factions agree on presidential vote, differ on sharia

Factions agree on presidential vote, differ on sharia

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sharia remained a crucial issue on Tuesday when Commission A
at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) failed to reach an
agreement on the matter, with several factions demanding the
inclusion of the seven-word phrase from the Jakarta Charter in
Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution.

All 12 factions on the other hand agreed on a second runoff in
the presidential election.

Vice President Hamzah Haz meanwhile called on legislators to
avoid voting on the crucial issue of religion.

"Whether or not the Jakarta Charter is included in the
Constitution, legislators must avoid voting," Hamzah was quoted
as saying by Najamuddin Ramli, chairman of the Sulawesi Youth
Front (FPSI), after a meeting at the vice presidential palace on
Tuesday.

Hamzah, who is also PPP chairman, appealed to the factions who
insisted on the adoption of sharia (Islamic law) to be aware of
political realities. He was referring to the significant
opposition to sharia.

Three Islamic-based factions, the United Development Party
(PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), and the Daulatul Ummah
Party (PDU), insisted that sharia be included in the
Constitution.

Seven factions, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan), Golkar, National Awakening Party (PKB), Love
the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), Indonesian Nationhood
Coalition (KKI), the Regional Representatives, and the Indonesian
Military/National Police (TNI/Polri), rejected the proposal.

Meanwhile Brig. Gen. Kohirin Suganda of the TNI/Polri faction
reminded the nation of the need for thorough preparations for the
second runoff in the presidential election.

"We, the military, are ready to encourage democracy. A direct
presidential election will reinforce the current presidential
system and improve public participation," he added.

However he warned that "a direct presidential election is a
new thing for the nation. We appeal to the whole nation to
minimize the excessive impacts that may result from it."

He added that the impacts of the implementation of a direct
presidential election should be taken into account as it could
seriously affect the economy.

Tuesday's relatively smooth deliberations did not, however,
guarantee smooth process of the amendments as fears remain that
the "antiamendment" camp will disrupt the final deliberations to
determine whether or not to endorse the fourth amendment on
Friday.

Fears of interruptions aimed at deliberately delaying or even
thwarting the amendment process were voiced by, among others,
deputy secretary-general of Golkar faction Rully Chairul Azwar.

Other issues to be deliberated are the adoption of moral
advancement in national education and the scrapping of the
Supreme Advisory Council (DPA).