MPR committee agrees to limit presidential term

JAKARTA (JP): Ad Hoc Committee I of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed on Friday to recommend that a president and vice president can only serve a maximum of two terms, whether consecutively or not.

Marwah Daud Ibrahim, who chaired the committee meeting, said that all factions put their weight behind a draft decree proposing the term limits.

"Thank God that this committee succeeded in reaching a historical decision," Marwah told reporters.

"Electing a president in the past has always been an acute problem for this nation," she said, apparently referring to the way the nation reelected Soeharto as president a record seven times.

"This decision proves that the Assembly is quite open to all aspirations," she said.

The proposal will go to the MPR's working committee for final approval. The government of President B.J. Habibie plans to hold an extraordinary MPR session in November to enact a series of new decrees to accommodate changes brought about by the abrupt resignation of president Soeharto in May.

The autocratic Soeharto ruled the country for 32 years, and each time he was elected by the MPR without opposition.

Marwah said the rampant corruption and collusive practices during the New Order era of Soeharto had a lot to do with Soeharto's lengthy tenure in office.

"The situation would have been very different if he had stayed in office for only two terms," she said.

Marwah said the committee agreed that the proposal to limit the number of terms should apply to President B.J. Habibie.

"All factions agreed to count Habibie's first term from May 21. 1998 until Dec. 1999," she said.

Antonius Rahail of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction said term limits were essential to building a healthy democracy. "We should take a lesson from history. A leader who stays for a long time tends to abuse his power. He will likely resort to repressive means to maintain the status quo," he said.

Andi Matalatta of the Golkar faction said most democratic countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia and Germany limit the number of terms a president or prime minister can serve.

Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution stipulates that a president and vice president serve a term of five years, and they may be reelected after completing the terms. It does not say how many terms a president can serve.

Those who supported Soeharto's reelection in March, including many who are now serving in the MPR, argued back then that setting a limit to the number of terms served was undemocratic because it would deprive the people of the right to reelect popular leaders.

Brig. Gen. (police) Taufiqurochman Ruki, spokesman for the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, said the military faction fully supported the proposed term limit in keeping with the spirit of reform.

The United Development Party (PPP) faction claimed that the proposal to set term limits was its initiative.

"We have long proposed the idea, but it was always turned down (by the dominant factions)," Chozin Chumaidy of the PPP faction said. He pointed out that the party had proposed the idea at the last MPR session in March.

Ad Hoc Committee I also agreed to propose revoking an MPR decree that gives virtually unlimited power to a president to protect the state, Marwah said.

The decree was enacted in March at Soeharto's instigation but he never had the chance to invoke it.

"All the factions agreed that the decree is obscure and has no real purpose. We feel this decree makes a president immensely powerful," she said, adding that the extra power could easily be abused if it fell into the wrong hands.

Ad Hoc Committee I is also discussing three other proposed decrees, namely on Soeharto's accountability report, on an investigation into Soeharto's wealth, and on the concept of a presidential mandate.

Marwah promised that the committee would complete its work by Sept. 30. (rms)