Few outsiders object to keeping PR polling system

Few outsiders object to keeping PR polling system

JAKARTA (JP): Two of the largest political parties not
represented in the House of Representatives (DPR) have expressed
no objections to a plan to retain the proportional representation
(PR) system in next year's election.

However, the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Perjuangan and
the People's Awakening Party (PKB) insisted on minimal government
involvement in the administration and supervision of the polls.

PDI Perjuangan, which is led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, and
PKB, a party under the Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic movement, are
among newly formed political parties planning to contest the
election under laws currently being deliberated by the DPR.

The two, along with the People's Mandate Party (PAN) led by
Amien Rais, are expected to pose the greatest challenge to Golkar
and the United Development Party (PPP) in the election. Given
their immense support nationwide, they are not overly concerned
about what electoral system is adopted.

The DPR special committee and the government agreed on
Thursday that, in spite of the advantages of the district system,
proportional representation would be retained because the nation
is not yet ready to make the switch administratively.

The government, which drafted the election bill, had earlier
proposed a system in which people vote for candidates in their
respective districts rather than casting their votes for
political parties as in the past.

When asked to comment on the move, Tarto Sudiro of the PDI
Perjuangan and A. Muhaemin Iskandar of the PKB both said they
believed that the question of election administration was more
important -- a point not yet discussed by the DPR special
committee.

"It would be better if the government is not involved in the
administration of the polls," Muhaemin, who is the PKB's
secretary-general, said.

The PDI Perjuangan's deputy secretary-general, Tarto, said the
election committee should consist solely of representatives of
the contesting political parties.

Both said the government's role in the election should be
limited to allocating funds, providing electoral committees with
facilities and guaranteeing security.

The public would become very suspicious of the government's
intentions if it took an active role in the committee, they said.

Muhammad A.S. Hikam from the National Institute of Sciences
(LIPI), took a similar line to the PDI and PKB, saying that it
was not the system that mattered, but how the election was
administered.

LIPI drafted an alternative election bill in which retention
of the PR system was proposed. However, the government ignored
LIPI's paper and drafted its own bill.

"The system is a less important issue than whether or not
independent administration of the polls can be guaranteed ... it
must be stated clearly in the bill that the government is to
function solely as a facilitator," he said.

However, Hikam conceded that the district system was ideal and
said that Indonesia should adopt it when the time is right.

Mulyana W. Kusumah from the Independent Election Monitoring
Committee (KIPP) said he saw something else behind the DPR
special committee's decision to back down from the district
system.

"It shows conservatism on the part of the factions in the
DPR," he said, referring to Golkar, the United Development Party
(PPP) and the government-sanctioned PDI, which along with the
Armed Forces (ABRI) are currently deliberating the political
bills.

ABRI is already guaranteed seats in the DPR without having to
contest the election. But the other three factions will have to
contest the election against nearly 100 new parties that have
been set up in the last six months.

Mulyana said he believed that the three established parties
did not have enough candidates with the credibility and integrity
to succeed in district elections.

"It is because they are not free from corruption, collusion
and nepotism. The new political parties are in a much better
position in this regard," he said.

Mulyana said Golkar, the PPP and the government-sanctioned PDI
would not stand a chance under a district system.

He said he agreed with a government proposal to staff national
and local election committees with representatives of the
political parties and the government along with public figures.

The government has argued for the inclusion of well-known
figures to make the committees more credible in the eyes of the
public. However, the Golkar, PPP and ABRI factions in the House
rejected the idea.

"Excluding public figures is tantamount to ruling against the
participation of elements outside the political parties," Mulyana
said.

He also suggested that the national and local election
committees be given greater power to mediate in disputes that
arise in the course of the campaign. (aan)