Legislators prefer proportional system
Kurniawan Hari and Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Makassar
The House of Representatives (DPR) looks set to stick with the existing proportional electoral system, which has been widely criticized for hampering the accountability of legislators.
Head of the House special committee deliberating the election bill, Agustin Teras Narang, said adopting the government's proposal of a combined proportional system and an open-list of candidates was "just too complicated".
Teras, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said on Wednesday the new system would cause difficulties, particularly for those in remote areas.
Voters would have to use bigger ballot sheets consisting of the names of candidates that people in rural areas would be unable to identify, he said.
In the past voters have only been able to select a symbol of a political party on the ballot sheet.
Teras said the prevailing opinion during discussions with fellow legislators had led to an agreement to keep the existing system, which gives a political party's executives the power to determine their preferred legislators.
Legislator Chozin Chumaidy of the United Development Party (PPP) said that his faction would take the government's proposal into "serious consideration".
"That proposal will be an alternative system," said Chozin, deputy chairman of the special committee.
The statements come just one day after four political and legal experts suggested the House adopt an electoral system that promotes the accountability of legislators.
The experts said the proposed revision to Law No.3/1999 on elections should enable voters to elect trustworthy representatives.
The government has proposed a combination of a proportional system and an open-list of candidates in its draft law.
The current electoral system has created a gap between legislators and their constituents, a situation that has prompted legislators to ignore the people and pander to their own party's interests.
The House's failure to set up an inquiry into the Rp 40 billion financial scandal implicating Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung early this year is just one of many examples of how politicians tend to pursue their own interests at the expense of the public's.
Both Teras and Chozin refused to give further explanation, saying that the official stance of their respective factions on the government's proposal would be announced on Thursday during a meeting with home minister Hari Sabarno.
Chozin said the PPP faction would focus on issues relating to the electoral system, electoral threshold, General Election Commission (KPU), supervision and campaigning.
All the House factions are expected to deliver their views on Thursday and the government is scheduled to respond on Monday.
"We hope by Sept. 12 all factions have submitted their lists of input on the election bill," Teras said.
Meanwhile the Coalition for a New Constitution on Wednesday criticized the lack of equality in the adoption of the bicameral parliamentary system.
"People's sovereignty is not reflected in the system since there is no equal power between the regional representative councils (DPDs) and the House," the coalition said in a statement.