Golkar says no to presidential term limit discussion

Golkar says no to presidential term limit discussion

JAKARTA (JP): The debate over a presidential term limitation
is unlikely to be anything more than public chatter, as a senior
Golkar executive crushed yesterday any suggestion that the debate
would be taken up at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The deputy chief of Golkar's MPR faction, Akbar Tandjung, told
reporters yesterday that the faction would not include the term
limitation in its draft debate material for the Assembly's
general meeting next year.

"We (Golkar) have never discussed about a presidential term
limitation and will not bring the issue up at the MPR general
session next year," he said.

Akbar will co-lead MPR's ad hoc, non-State Policy Guidelines
committee with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto at the general
session.

The 1,000-strong MPR will convene here in March to elect the
nation's president and vice president and draw up the State
Policy Guidelines for the next five years.

Akbar, who is also State Minister of Public Housing, said
Golkar would not deviate from the 1945 Constitution in its
understanding of a president's tenure.

"A president can be reelected for a second term, a third, or a
fifth term, and so on," he said.

The 1945 Constitution says a president and vice president are
elected for five-year terms and can be reelected.

The proposal of limiting the president's tenure was
rejuvenated by Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo, who
said last month that in the post-Soeharto era after 2003,
Indonesia should limit a president's tenure to 10 years.

Siswono's proposal gained the support of many political
observers and leading figures.

Some of them even suggested that MPR not delay in discussing
the presidential term limitation, but take the initiative to
bring the issue up in March.

Golkar's decision not to discuss the term limitation in MPR
comes on the heels of a remark by Golkar chairman Harmoko who
signaled the faction's support for Soeharto's reelection.

Harmoko indicated Tuesday that Golkar would nominate Soeharto
for the 1998/2003 term.

He, however, said Golkar's formal position would only be
disclosed after a leadership meeting scheduled from Oct. 17 to
Oct. 20.

Asked about the presidential nomination, Akbar said yesterday
the mechanism for electing the president would be discussed in
the non-State Policy Guidelines committee.

"Let's just wait for the candidates to be proposed by all MPR
factions," he said.

Speaking about Golkar's other proposals for next year's
general session, Akbar said it would include the reintroduction
of an MPR decree on the president's preemptive powers against
subversive activities.

"Such preemptive powers are needed to guarantee sustainable
development programs," he said.

The decree would grant a president the authority to take
preemptive measures against security disturbances and subversive
activities.

The decree was adopted as part of the State Policy Guidelines
in 1988, but was later dropped from the guidelines in 1993. (imn)