More experts join call for new constitution

Jupriadi Asmaradhana, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Two experts have joined in the chorus of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by calling for a new constitution amid the uncertain future of amendments being made to the 1945 Constitution.

Lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said at a seminar here on Saturday that it would be better for the nation to craft a totally new constitution, one that recognized changes brought about during the reform era, rather than allow the political elite to fail due to dispute over crucial matters in the Constitution.

"Instead of bickering over amendments to the Constitution, it would be better for the nation to make a new constitution, one far better than the current one," he said at the seminar organized by the Golkar Party's South Sulawesi office.

An alliance of NGOs grouped in the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) has called for an independent commission to design a new constitution that would serve the nation well into the future. Cetro claims that the Assembly will not be able to amend the Constitution because of individuals' vested interests.

Amendment to the Constitution appears to be in danger of stalling due to conflicting interests over crucial matters in the Constitution on the part of factions within the People Consultative Assembly.

Besides facing internal division, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) opposes the proposal of other major factions that direct presidential electoral and district electoral systems be adopted, saying the nation was not ready for it.

Buyung, who composed a thesis on the 1945 Constitution to obtain his doctorate degree, said that because of the deadlock in the amendment talks, it would be better to hold a referendum to allow the people to choose which system to adopt.

Historian Anwar Gonggong said the nation should return to the interim constitution (UUDS) which he said was more democratic than the 1945 Constitution.

"The interim constitution had 26 chapters on human rights and six chapters on communal rights," he said.

Both Buyung and Anhar were of the opinion that the new constitution should adopt the current one's preamble to maintain the unitary stage and its ideology.

Indria Samego, a political observer from the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI), called on politicians, especially factions at the Assembly, to put aside their political interests in amending the Constitution.