Gus Dur suggests a delay in amendment of articles
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Public hope for a direct presidential election came up against another hurdle on Tuesday as former president Abdurrahman Wahid suggested that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) delay the implementation of the amended articles in the 1945 Constitution.
Abdurrahman, who is better known as Gus Dur, said implementation must be postponed because of several conflicting articles in the amended Constitution.
He called for the establishment of a commission to reconcile the conflicting articles.
"If the commission can't reconcile the conflicting articles, they will be contradictory," Gus Dur told Antara at a ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) in Lamongan, East Java.
The ceremony was also attended by PKB chairman Alwi Shihab, PKB deputy chairman Mahfud M.D., PKB secretary-general Syaifullah Yusuf, Lamongan regent Masfuk and chairman of PKB's East Java chapter Anwar Iskandar.
His statement was the third made by political leaders that suggested delaying the implementation of amended articles in the 1945 Constitution.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who chair the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Golkar Party respectively, hinted that a delay would be acceptable.
Citing an example of a contradictory article, Gus Dur said that a proposal by the United Development Party (PPP) to put seven words of the Jakarta Charter in Article 29 of the Constitution was not in line with the preamble.
The preamble of the Constitution states that the state believes in one supreme God. PPP insisted on adding "with mandatory practices of Islamic teachings for its followers".
Gus Dur added that PDI Perjuangan and Golkar insisted on going ahead with the amendment process.
Speaking as PKB's patron, Gus Dur said that the party would reject its implementation if the constitutional commission was not consulted first on the deliberation of the amendment.
Deputy chairman of the Assembly's ad hoc committee for the constitutional amendment (PAH 1) Slamet Effendy Yusuf refuted claims that there were contradictory articles resulting from the amendment.
"I don't think there are any contradictory articles. If Gus Dur sees some contradictory articles, I think he should show the public," Slamet said.
Commenting on the call for the establishment of a constitutional commission, Slamet said that a commission would be set up only if the Assembly failed to complete the amendment process.
PAH 1 chairman Jakob Tobing agreed with Slamet, saying that a commission was needed to continue the unfinished work of the Assembly.
Slamet suggested that as soon as the amendment was completed, the government and the House should immediately deliberate political laws.
Political laws are urgently needed for the 2004 general election, he said.
He expressed hope that there would be no more calls to delay the implementation of the amendment.