Late amendment harms elections

Late amendment harms elections

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A legislator tries to allay fears that the delayed People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree for a direct presidential
election will hamper preparations for the 2004 general elections.

Andi Mattalatta said on Monday said that the government could
start revising laws on subjects other than the pending issues.

For example, the government could start deliberating the bill
on the establishment of the Regional Representatives Council
(DPD) and some adjustments of other laws.

"For the bill on the election system, it can be made public
from now on and the adjustments can be made later," Andi told The
Jakarta Post here on Monday.

Andi, a legislator from the Golkar Party, said that the House
of Representatives (DPR) was ready to deliberate on the amendment
as soon as possible.

Fear of legal problems in the 2004 elections have been
expressed by many groups following the delay in the amendment of
articles relating to the direct presidential election in last
week's MPR Annual Session.

An expert from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, A.A. Oka
Mahendra suggested that the political laws should become the top
priority in the House's upcoming sessions set to open on Nov. 19.

"I think the political bills are currently being reassessed at
the home affairs ministry already," Oka said.

One of those worried about the 2004 elections is Mulyana W.
Kusumah, a member of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The failure in amending some articles, including an article on
the presidential election is feared to affect the schedule to
revise the laws.

On Article 6A of the amendment bill, the Assembly factions
were unable to reach a consensus with regard to a possible second
round of voting if a candidate does not receive more than half
the popular vote. One side of the MPR wanted there to be a
second round of public voting, the other side thinks it would be
better if it were thrown back to the Assembly to vote on.

The other article suspended for enactment is the article on
the composition of the Assembly. The opposing camps argue on
whether to include the non-elected Interest Group faction in the
membership of the Assembly or not.

"Ideally, the political laws should have been made public 18
months before election day," Mulyana told the Post.