Govt promises presidential election will be on time
Govt promises presidential election will be on time
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno guaranteed on Monday the
official term of President Megawati Soekarnoputri would not
exceed the official period of five years, saying he was
preparing a bill for direct presidential elections.
The minister said he would soon submit to the House of
Representatives two bills on direct presidential and vice
presidential elections and on the composition of the legislative
bodies.
"We are working on the assumption that a new president and
vice president will be installed in October 2004," Hari said
after discussing the general elections bill with legislators
here.
Megawati assumed the presidency in July last year, replacing
former president Abdurrahman Wahid.
She is expected to conclude her term in office in October
2004. Before that, a direct presidential election should have
been held to elect a new president and vice president.
Megawati's abbreviated presidency has caused speculation that
she would delay direct presidential elections in order to extend
her term.
Hari promised he would do his best to submit the bills on
direct presidential and vice presidential elections and the
composition of the legislative bodies before the bills on
political parties and general elections were passed into law by
the end of this year.
His statement came in response to questions from legislators
about why the minister did not insert "procedures for direct
presidential and vice presidential elections" into the bill on
general elections.
He said his ministry would not rush the deliberations of
direct presidential elections in order to ensure the bill was
comprehensive, considering that direct presidential elections
would be a new experience for Indonesia.
"We have decided to submit separate bills on general elections
and direct presidential elections to make them more focused," the
minister said.
Legislators and members of the General Elections Commission
(KPU) have repeatedly expressed concern about the government's
sluggishness in submitting the bill on direct presidential
elections.
They say the lateness of the government in submitting the bill
could postpone the direct presidential elections, which many hope
will be the starting point for thorough reform in the country.
Responding to these concerns, the Reform faction in the House
proposed inserting procedures for direct presidential elections
into the bill on general elections.
The meeting on Monday, however, agreed to delay discussion of
the issue, pending a proposal from the home ministry.
"The government should have already submitted the bill on
direct presidential elections so there would be sufficient time
to discuss the matter," Reform faction chairman Ahmad Farhan
Hamid said.
The Reform faction consists of legislators from the Justice
Party and the National Mandate Party, led by aspiring
presidential candidate Amien Rais.
The meeting on Monday also discussed a proposal from the
government to give members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and
the National Police the right to vote in elections.
Some factions, including Golkar, the United Development Party
(PPP), the Reform faction and the TNI/Police, rejected the
proposal, but the minister insisted that it must be approved.
"The government will not discriminate in the right to vote.
The right to vote is universal," Hari said.
Of the 963 items in the general elections bill scheduled for
deliberation, 669 items have been discussed by legislators and
the minister. However, many of them have yet to be decided on
because of conflicting opinions among the nine factions in the
House.