Government insists on separate legislative, presidential elections
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite opposition from several factions at the House of Representatives (DPR), the government is insisting that the presidential election be held after the election of the members of the DPR, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the regional legislature (DPRD).
Separate elections would bring about other consequences, including an electoral threshold to be imposed on a party running for the presidency. The government-sponsored bill on presidential elections stipulates that only parties with at least 20 percent of House seats are eligible to run for the presidency.
"The election of president and vice president has to be separated from the election of legislators because they have different systems," Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno told a hearing with the House's special committee deliberating the presidential election bill here on Monday.
A presidential election that follows the election of legislative members would help presidential candidates and the parties know their strengths and chances, Hari said.
The electoral threshold in the presidential election will require political parties with less House seats to coalesce. Hari said the coalition of parties would simplify the multiparty system adopted by the country.
There are over 200 parties registering for the 2004 general election.
In the previous hearing last Wednesday, the United Development Party (PPP), the Reform Party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Nationhood Unity (PDU) factions rejected the government's proposal to organize separate elections.
They wanted the elections of president and vice president and the legislative members to be held simultaneously, citing efficiency and security reasons.
The rest of the factions supported the government's proposal, but the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) remains undecided.
Hari said that there would be enough time for the presidential election even though it would be held after the election of legislative members.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set April 5, 2004 as the date for the general election. With the president and vice president to be inaugurated on Oct. 20, 2004, there will be six months and 15 days left to hold the presidential election.
Hari estimated that an election, from its preparation until the ballot counting, would only take between two months and three months to complete.
KPU member Chusnul Mar'iyah who attended the hearing said, however, that organizing separate elections would be difficult.
She said she was concerned about the uneven distribution of ballot sheets and equipment for election committees in remote areas throughout the country.
All of the nine House factions are expected to submit their overviews to the committee on April 11 and the committee will discuss them on April 21.