MPR agrees to move forward elections

MPR agrees to move forward elections

JAKARTA (JP): Members of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) agreed on Friday to accelerate the presidential elections,
but adjourned the General Assembly after failing to reach a
consensus on the exact dates of the crucial schedule.

Assembly members were in apparent agreement that a president
must be elected in the coming weeks.

The source of contention comes down to whether the president
would be elected before or after the State Policy Guidelines
(GBHN) is drafted and endorsed.

"We decided to suspend the lobbying until tomorrow (Saturday)
at 9 a.m., that means there'll be no meeting tonight," Golkar
deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said on Friday afternoon after a
two-hour closed-door meeting with leading Assembly members.

Despite lacking sufficient support, the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) continued to push for a
General Session schedule comprising one phase, which would
culminate in a presidential election within a fortnight.

The move would mean endorsement of the guidelines would take
place after the presidential election.

A small team headed by Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, which includes Golkar and National Mandate
Party (PAN) representatives, has proposed a two-phase schedule.

The grouping has proposed that after four days the Assembly
would adjourn to allow an Assembly Working Committee to draft the
guidelines, before convening again on Oct. 22.

Marzuki stressed that it was now a matter of fine-tuning the
timetable.

"We'll try to lobby for a consensus so a completely new
government will be formed by Oct. 28," Marzuki said.

He said most of the factions "agreed and realized" that an
accelerated presidential election was the "best way to normalize
the nation".

"There are no principal differences, we only have to reach an
agreement on the details.

"We hope PDI Perjuangan will show a moderate stance in the
plenary session tomorrow (Saturday) so that the General Session's
agenda can be unanimously accepted," Marzuki said.

Hari Sabarno of the military faction said: "We have been able
to reach points of understandings, so hopefully with that we can
reach an agreement tomorrow."

Many argue that electing a president prior to the formulation
of the State Guidelines is tantamount to giving a blank cheque to
the government for the next five years.

Sabam Sirait of PDI Perjuangan denied that the party's firm
stand on the timetable issue was hampering the General Session's
progress.

After attending Friday morning's induction ceremony, PDI
Perjuangan chairwoman and presidential candidate Megawati
Soekarnoputri also urged the election process to occur as quickly
as possible.

She argued that the country's economic and political recovery
would immediately begin to recover with the election of a new
president.

"PDI Perjuangan has its own political interest to immediately
end the crises," Megawati said.

Late into Friday night, Assembly members were lobbying hard in
an attempt to break any possible impasse that may arise on
Saturday.

Nearly four months after the June 7 elections, the 700-seat
Assembly on Friday finally convened its General Session.

The Assembly is comprised of members of the House of
Representatives (DPR), of which 462 were elected through the
polls and 38 were allotted to the military.

In addition, there are 135 regional representatives and 65
interest group representatives.

Only 628 members were sworn in on Friday due to unresolved
political and administrative issues. Due to the unfolding
situation in East Timor, the territory's five regional seats
remained vacant. Jambi and Southeast Sulawesi have also not
elected regional representatives.

In addition to electing a president and vice president, the
Assembly must also endorse the 1999-2004 State Guidelines, amend
the 1945 Constitution, issue decrees, select speakers of the
Assembly and the House and establish the various factions.

Coalition

With no party holding a clear majority in the Assembly, seat-
trading, back room politics and hallway alliances will be
widespread during the coming weeks.

Marzuki said that close cooperation among the major political
parties was needed to form the new administration.

"The next government should draw its power from all the major
political parties in line with the seat tally composition of the
recent General Election," he said.

Another Golkar Party member, Ekky Syachrudin, predicted a
deadlock in the presidential race, saying support for the three
strongest contenders was finely balanced.

A loose coalition known as the "axis force" led by PAN and
several Muslim parties has nominated Abdurrahman Wahid. PDI
Perjuangan backs Megawati, while Golkar continues to officially
support incumbent Habibie, despite indications that it might be
reconsidering the nomination.

"The three major power groups are expected to win around 200
supporters each in the presidential election. If they fail to
make a compromise, the election will be deadlocked," he said.

National Awakening Party (PKB) secretary-general Muhaimin
Iskandar reiterated on Friday his party's support for Megawati.

"PKB will acquire more political gains in a coalition with PDI
Perjuangan than with the axis force," he said.

Checks

Most party leaders also appeared to agree that the Assembly
establish an effective check-and-balance system to prevent an
overconcentration of power in the president's hands.

"We want to ensure that the next president will not have too
much power," Sutradara Ginting of the Justice and Unity Party
(PKP) said on Friday after late night lobbying between party
leaders at Hotel Indonesia.

Most members agreed that the 1945 Constitution, which provides
the president with sweeping powers, should be amended. But they
also realized that the two-week interval between the session's
two phases would not be sufficient for deliberating such an
important issue.

Ginting said the MPR should, at the very least, be able to
enact laws that further empowered the House, the Assembly and the
Supreme Court to bring the president under an effective
check-and-balance mechanism.

He said such a control mechanism would be adequate pending a
comprehensive amendment of the Constitution by the Working
Committee within three months of the conclusion of the current
General Session. (rms/byg/emf/amd/vin)