Govt to combine House, presidential vote

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A draft chapter to be included in the election bill combines the legislative and executive elections, giving less room for winning political parties to later fix the outcome of the presidential election.

The government plans to add the chapter on the presidential election to the election bill which legislators are debating, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Homes Affairs, I Nyoman Sumaryadi said on Tuesday.

"We plan to have one election only; for seats at the House of Representatives, the regional representatives council, the regional legislative council, and the presidency," said Nyoman.

Last week, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) approved the amendment of the 1945 Constitution, paving the way for the country's first ever direct presidential election by 2004.

Now the Constitution defines the general election as voting for the House, the legislative council, the representatives council and the president. It is undecided as yet, whether the four elections should be held simultaneously.

Lawmakers suggested holding the presidential election after the completion of the three others, particularly after the House.

They said this would prevent an excess of presidential candidates confusing voters who must already decide from a wide palette of political parties.

"We would be able to know (beforehand) whose (candidate) might win, so that we can nominate a candidate from a winning party," said lawmaker Teras Narang who chairs the House committee in charge of deliberating the election bill.

Asked whether this choice meant providing room for backdoor dealings prior to the presidential race, Teras said: "That's the consequence".

A member of the General Election Commission (KPU) Chusnul Mar'iyah agreed there was a risk of politicking distorting the election if parties knew their composition at the House before they nominated a candidate.

"Those who wish to have the (presidential) election held later, are allowing a situation whereby only winning parties will nominate candidates," Chusnul said on Monday. "That's exactly where the politicking lies."

Political activists slammed such ideas as killing democracy. They argued that anybody should be able to become a presidential nominee including those without affiliation to any political party.

Nyoman said the government planned to discuss the chapter with a team of experts and submit it to the House by the third week of this month.