Hamzah calls for prudence in amending Constitution

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Vice President Hamzah Haz said on Friday that deliberation on the amendment to the Constitution should proceed, but insisted that articles concerning the nation's founding principles be left untouched.

He suggested that the amendment be limited to articles concerning the people's welfare and education while the preamble, the articles on religious affairs and those related to principles of the nationhood should remain as they are.

"We should amend the Constitution with prudence, especially when it comes to articles which have become the foundation of the nation," Hamzah was quoted as saying by chairman of the Central Board of the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII), Nusron Wahid, who met the Vice President on Friday.

Hamzah had earlier suggested that the amendment exclude Article 33 on the country's economic system. The article promotes social equity and well-being.

Controversy has shrouded the amendment, with the People's Consultative Assembly coming under fire for thinking of short- term objectives. Some non-governmental organizations have repeatedly suggested that the amendment of fundamental articles be left to an independent commission.

There have been demands from certain groups for an end to the amendment process on the grounds that it has tended to be an overhaul of the Constitution.

Separately, Assembly speaker Amin Rais said the amendment process had entered its final stage, therefore, it was already too late to establish an independent commission.

He also questioned the sudden opposition to the amendment process.

"If we halt the amendment process now, does that mean we then return to the existing Constitution which has caused crises in the state administration?" he said on the sidelines of a congress being held by Nahdlatul Ulama youth wing Anshor here on Friday.

Amien called on the people to respect the amended Constitution, which would be approved during the Assembly annual session this August.

Among the contending issues in the amendment process is the military and police faction's struggle to retain their seats in the Assembly. The draft amendment says the faction will no longer exist.

Others are concerned that radical-leaning Muslim groups will also push for their own ideological agenda to demand for adoption of Islamic law.

Anshor chairman Syaifullah Yusuf shared Hamzah's view, saying that amending the constitution should not be rushed into with the obsession of meeting the August deadline.

"No need to force the process, the parts that still require further assessment could be finalized next year," Syaifullah, who is also the National Awakening Party (PKB) secretary-general, told reporters.

He also suggested that the Assembly allow more public participation in the amendment process.

Thus far, only six of the targeted 18 articles have been deliberated by the Assembly's ad-hoc commission in charge of the constitutional amendment as the process has been plagued by conflicting interests among legislators.