Govt vows to go ahead with current political bills

Govt vows to go ahead with current political bills

JAKARTA (JP): Despite public criticism, the government has
pledged to press ahead with the political bills now being
deliberated by the House of Representatives and will hold a
general election next May, according to Minister of Home Affairs
Syarwan Hamid.

Speaking on Tuesday, Syarwan said the government had no
intention of drafting alternatives to the laws which have been
the subject of criticism ever since their content was first
announced. Newly-established political parties have denounced the
draft legislation as unduly restrictive.

"If we had to revise the political bills again, it would be
impossible (for the country) to hold a general election next
May," he said after attending the opening ceremony of the Special
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Almost all of the new political parties -- which number around
100 -- have said the political bills are undemocratic because of
stipulations that make it difficult for them to contest general
elections. They have urged the government to withdraw the bills,
which number three in total, and allow them to draft
replacements.

The draft law on political parties requires all parties to
accept the Pancasila state ideology as their sole ideology. It
also seeks to bar political parties from receiving foreign aid.

The draft law on general elections requires all political
parties to collect the signatures of one million of their own
supporters before they are eligible to contest the poll and
candidates for legislators posts must collect at least 300,000
signatures from the district he/she wants to represent.

Syarwan expressed optimism that deliberation of the political
bills would be completed in time and the general election would
be held as scheduled.

"Deliberation of the political bills by the House and the
government will continue after the Special Session and should be
completed by mid January," he said, adding that the government
had no intention of delaying the general election.

Syarwan reiterated the government's commitment to a fair
general election in order to build a democratic government.

"The government will not interfere in the general election. It
will facilitate the event, but won't have a presence on the
election committee.

"Civil servants on the committee will only serve as
administrative staff," he added.

The minister said he hoped the MPR would pass the draft decree
on general elections to assure the public that a poll will be
held next year as scheduled.

"The MPR should concentrate on the draft decree on general
elections, which is the main item on the session's agenda," he
said.

Despite the fact that the Assembly Working Committee has
approved a decree on fair and just elections, a group of
University of Indonesia students expressed skepticism that the
session would pave the way for this to take place.

In a meeting with the dominant faction Golkar, the students
said on Tuesday that it would be difficult for the ruling
political organization to accept the same treatment as all the
other parties contesting the elections after having enjoyed
special privileges for three decades.

"If Golkar is committed to fairness and justice, it must break
away from the bureaucracy," the spokesman for the student group,
Ari Wibowo, told Golkar legislators. Golkar is known to depend on
the Armed Forces and the bureaucracy for its political clout.

The students questioned Golkar's refusal to allow civil
servants to decide their own political allegiance and to ask its
top officials to resign from their ministerial posts.

"There are suspicions that Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung will
benefit from his position as the Minister/State Secretary," said
Ari.

Slamet Effendy Yusuf, one of five Golkar legislators who
received the students, said the fact that some Golkar cadres hold
top jobs in the bureaucracy would not hamper efforts to introduce
greater democracy to the country.

"Let's consider the President's choice of Akbar Tandjung as
the Minister/State Secretary. I guarantee that he never misuses
government facilities while performing Golkar duties," Slamet
said.

Another Golkar legislator, Ekky Syachrudin, said Golkar had
pledged a complete break with the past and would from now on heed
demands for reform.

Aisyah Amini, chairperson of House Commission I on home and
foreign affairs, hinted at the establishment of an independent
institution to watch over the general election under the
provisions of the new law.

"It's a must that we have an independent institution to watch
over the general election and that is stated in the draft law we
will debate later this week."

The institution should include people from across the
country's political spectrum, she added. (amd/emf/rms)