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)