Limit presidential term after Soeharto: Siswono
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo said yesterday that in the post-Soeharto era after 2003, Indonesia should limit a president's tenure to 10 years.
Siswono told a seminar on future leadership that Indonesia had in the past 52 years seen only two presidents who both came to power through extraordinary processes.
However, now that everything had returned to normal, it would be enough for a future president to hold office for two consecutive terms, he said.
Starting in 1945, late founding president Sukarno held office until 1966. Soeharto was then appointed acting President in 1967 and later President in 1968. Siswono predicted that the People's Consultative Assembly would re-elect Soeharto for another five- year term when it convenes next March.
"The late president Sukarno played an outstanding role in our struggle for independence and the building of the nation. President Soeharto rescued the country from disintegration following a coup attempt by the communist party in 1965 and has helped increase the welfare of citizens ever since.
"However, in the future, we no longer expect to elect our presidents in such extraordinary ways, but in normal ways as suggested by the Constitution. For the sake of development, future presidents should only (be in office) for one or two (five-year) terms," Siswono said.
He said the suggested limitation of a president's term did not necessitate a change to the 1945 Constitution which merely says that a president is elected for a five-year term and can be reelected. He instead suggested a public consensus.
Siswono said that for most Indonesian people, both Sukarno and Soeharto were more than just heads of state; the two were the country's founding fathers.
"Their outstanding merits ... have won the hearts of the Indonesian people. Therefore, everybody voluntarily accepted them to lead the country for so long," he said.
The seminar was held by the Institute for Management Education and Development held in honor of former Armed Forces leader and the institute's founding father T.B. Simatupang. Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave opened the seminar.
Also speaking at the seminar were chairman of Singapore Telecoms Koh Boon Hwee; vice president of PT Astra International B. Subianto; daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and president of the Malaysian AIDS Council Marina Mahathir; and Golkar legislator Nafsiah Mboi.
House of Representatives member Sabam Sirait said limitation of a president's tenure had actually sparked a debate in the 1973 session of the People's Consultative Assembly.
"The Assembly, including Golkar representatives, had proposed the idea (to limit a president's term) after learning from past experiences that a president who took office for too long could cause many problems," Sabam of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) said.
PDI campaigned to bring the issue back to the surface in the 1992 electoral campaign, with party chairman Soerjadi saying that a president's term in office should be restricted to only a maximum of 10 years. The party did not include the topic in its campaign agenda last April.
Chairman of the Institute for Management Education and Development Frans Seda agreed with Siswono, stating that the presidential post for two five-year terms was enough.
Seda, also a former minister of finance, said that presidents were allowed to take office for a long time because the 1945 Constitution says nothing about a limitation of a president's tenure.
In the seminar, Siswono said the ability to maintain political stability served as strong legitimacy for a leader. He said, however, that future national leaders should encourage justice if they wish to develop loyalty among their followers.
He said future leaders should be open to criticism.
"Many of us prefer to criticize behind our leader's back. A society which allows people to openly express opposition remains a distant ideal," Siswono said. (amd)
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