Legislators told to get serious on political bills

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.