Legislators undecided on three issues

Legislators undecided on three issues

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Under pressure of time constraints, a number of legislators and
government officials are holding closed-door meetings at Hotel
Horison in Ancol, North Jakarta, to resolve a number of
contentious issues regarding the general election bill.

Legislators taking part in the meeting are trying to resolve
at least three issues: application of the open-list system,
general election requisites for political parties, and
campaigning by public officials.

"So far, we have not reached an agreement on these three
issues," Ahmad Chozin Chumaidy of the United Development Party
(PPP) faction at the House of Representatives told The Jakarta
Post.

He said around 20 members of the House's drafting committee
for the bill, the leaders of nine factions and government
officials met at the hotel to try and finalize the political
bill, which was expected to be passed into law on Feb. 11.

But, he added, the participants found the three issues the
most difficult to resolve.

The major parties were divided in regards the application of
the open-list system, under which voters can elect their
representatives directly. The Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) wanted the system implemented at the
provincial level, while the Golkar Party preferred the regental
level.

In regards the election requirements for political parties,
Chozin said the main issue dealt with a stipulation of the old
election law, that only parties with at least 2 percent of House
seats could contest in the 2004 elections.

Finally, he said that a debate had also arose over the issue
of limiting the number of public officials in election campaigns.

"Could the president, vice president, governors, regents and
mayors all take part in election campaigns to represent their
political parties? That remains unresolved," he said.

Activists, however, heavily criticized the meeting in Ancol.

Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI) Hendardi said the meeting indicated that
legislators were insensitive to the problems faced by the
majority of Indonesian people, who were suffering from various
price increases.

"How could they claim that they are representatives of the
people when they are not sensitive to what the people are going
through? All I can say is that such behavior only confirms that
they do not deserve to be representing the people," he told the
Post.

He also remarked that the meeting could have easily been held
at government offices, which had adequate meeting facilities.