Legislators told to get serious on political bills

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Legislators assigned to deliberate the bills on political parties and general elections, were asked to leave their political interests behind in debate on the bills.

Yusuf Muhammad, deputy chairman of the 50-member special committee tasked to deliberate the general election bill said all members of the special committee must be committed to prioritizing national interests in deliberating the bill to help develop democracy.

"The special committee must take into consideration all possible developments in the next 30 years in deliberating the bill. The bill will certainly be revised almost every year if legislators political interests' are reflected in the bill," he said, citing the bill was made to review the 1999 general election law.

Yusuf made the statement in a press conference to mark the start of deliberation on the two bills here on Tuesday.

The two are part of four bills submitted by the government to replace three political laws. Two other bills on the composition of the House, the People's Consultative Assembly, provincial and regency legislatures; and on presidential elections are still being prepared by the home ministry. Presidential elections will be regulated by a law following the Assembly's decision to hold direct presidential elections beginning in 2004.

The bill on general elections that regulates elections to elect House members and members of the provincial and regency legislatures has sparked public debate since the bill phases out non-elected seats both at the House and the Assembly which have long been enjoyed by representatives of the Indonesian Military and the National Police.

The bill states that servicemen may exercise their right to vote in the general election and have the right to be elected when they are no longer in active service.

Both the military and the police have opposed the bill and insist on maintaining their non-elected seats at the Assembly until 2009 as stipulated by a 1998 MPR Decree.

The bill has also been criticized as it stipulates the involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the General Election Commission's secretariat. Opponents of the bill fear that the presence of government officers in the commission's secretariat would be tantamount to interference by the government in general elections as was commonplace during the New Order era.

Chozin Chumaidy of the United Development Party (PPP) and Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of Golkar were of the opinion that rulings on presidential elections should be inserted in the general election bill, the deliberation of which will start on Aug. 22.

Committee chairman Agustin Teras Narang called on factions involved in the special committee to present their views on the bill before it was deliberated.

"Currently, all factions are preparing their own views on general elections in order to anticipate differences of opinion among the factions. The presence of different views will enrich the bill," Teras said.

During the media briefing, Teras said his committee would be open to inputs and even criticism from the public during the bill's deliberation.

"The public could give their views on the bill through the House's website: http//www.dpr-ri-komisi-2.or.id, or its fax numbers: 5715522 and 5715554 or visit the special committee's secretariat.

"We expect inputs from all sides throughout the country," Teras added.

Teras, also chairman of House Commission II, acknowledged that his committee would consult experts, NGOs and political parties to seek their inputs for the bill.

Responding to a demand from the General Election Commission (KPU) to revise articles to give the institution the legal basis for the establishment of KPU's regional chapters, Teras said that the demand would be taken into a serious consideration.

Yusuf added that the nine factions in the House could reach an agreement on the revision of articles for the setting up of KPU regional chapters.

The KPU is seeking approval from the House and the government for the establishment of regional offices in provinces and regencies in preparation for the 2004 General Election.