MPR members must be free to elect president

MPR members must be free to elect president

By Asip Agus Hasani

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Misunderstandings about the nature of a
multi-party system have led to the current "unhealthy" trend in
national politics, says Amien Rais, chairman of the National
Mandate Party (PAN).

On Saturday, Amien, a former lecturer of politics at Gadjah
Mada University here, was one of the leading politicians who
gathered at the Muhammadiyah organization's Jakarta office to
discuss a predicted deadlock in the presidential election.
Predictions of an impasse have been fueled by increasing
polarization between those supporting current front-runner in the
polls Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), and the Golkar Party's candidate,
incumbent President B.J. Habibie.

Amien, the former chairman of Muhammadiyah, met with
Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, Nahdlatul Ulama
chairman and founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Nur
Mahmudi Ismail who chairs the Justice Party (PK) and Hamzah Haz,
chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

PAN has denied the politicians agreed that Islam bars women
from leading the country.

To throw more light on Saturday's meeting, Amien talked to The
Jakarta Post on Monday at his house in Yogyakarta. Following are
excerpts from the interview:

Question: What was the background of the meeting involving NU
chairman Abdurrahman Wahid?

Answer: Recently I've observed a national political trend
which is rather unhealthy, namely a misunderstanding regarding
democracy. To be precise, this is a misperception regarding the
multi-party system which requires that any party must have at
least 51 percent of the vote through a coalition or any other
way.

Parties which fail to gain 51 percent of the vote in the
elections must strive to build a coalition to obtain that 51
percent share.

A party called "A" which obtains 40 percent must still work
hard to build a coalition with another party ... only with 51
percent (backing) is a party eligible to form a government. (This
requirement) would apply to PDI Perjuangan which might get about
35 percent; with that it could not claim to win the polls based
on a majority.

It is true that PDI Perjuangan has (obtained) the highest
vote... but don't wipe out the other parties which obtained the
rest of the vote.

If this issue is clear, I hope my friends from PDI Perjuangan
will no longer claim that Megawati must be president for winning
the polls with 35 percent of the vote. ... there have been more
serious expressions such as "Indonesia will fall apart if
Megawati does not become president". From (President B.J.)
Habibie's side I have heard that if Habibie fails to be
reelected, "those from outside Java will run amok."

I observe an increasing (rift) between the two camps.

So when Gus Dur came to the Muhammadiyah office for a visit we
discussed ways to reduce deterioration of this political process.
An attitude of "winners take all" would be a very negative
process in our growing democracy.

I am thinking that parties which contested the elections
should be given as many opportunities as possible to build a
majority in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR -- members of
which will vote in the November presidential elections).

And there are two things to remember: (the presence of) first,
hooliganism meaning the involvement of terror, bluff and
intimidation of MPR members which contributes to the inability of
members to consider the people's interest.

Second, money politics or bribes must be avoided so that our
representatives will not bow to the money owners....

If the General Session of the MPR can run without pressure,
terror, or bribes, I am convinced that the best child of the
nation will be elected as president.

Q: Observers have said that given a possible deadlock, PAN and
the military may be influential in the presidential election.
With which party would PAN coalesce, would it be with PDI
Perjuangan?

A: Until now PDI Perjuangan has never requested forming a
coalition with PAN. And PAN would never coalesce with PDI
Perjuangan or with Golkar because they have both become
extreme. No way....(Amien earlier said PAN would only form a
coalition with PDI Perjuangan with certain preconditions.)

Q: What do you mean by "extreme"?

A: Because both won't amend the 1945 Constitution (which a PDI
executive has denied); they won't revoke the dual function of the
military and they won't bring Soeharto to trial. That's not
convenient is it? So what would be more likely is a coalition
between PDI Perjuangan and Golkar because of their similarities.
That's okay, we'll just see.

Q: In the Saturday meeting an alternative presidential candidate
was mentioned apart from Megawati and Habibie. Who was that?

A: No such thing happened.

Q: How do you feel toward Megawati, who as a presidential
candidate has faced rejection from several Muslims?

A: I do not reject Megawati. But it (nominating her as candidate)
should happen in a democratic way in the absence of claims that
she must become president. (Such claims) would not be democratic
because things are still in the process of (being worked
through.)

The elections were only to choose legislators, not a
president. If one rejects such a process one would be better off
not claiming to be a democrat.

Q: Do you agree with the current process, to first have an
election and then let the MPR General Session pick the president?

A: That's the way it should be... in a multi-party system. If
there were only two parties, the winning party, even if it had
won by a margin of only 0.5 percent, would be the one to govern.

Q: How do you think the next presidential election should be run?

A: I agree with the suggestion of Gadjah Mada University rector
Ichlasul Amal (also a political lecturer), that the presidential
election should be conducted in stages.

The first stage would screen all presidential candidates from
all the MPR members. Then 15 candidates could be selected again
by voting, to pick five candidates. Before the next stage the
five candidates should agree to a debate and introduce their
respective programs, which would then be responded to and judged
by the MPR members. MPR members would then hold another vote to
pick two candidates, and the last stage would result in
Indonesia's fourth president. All the media and national
television should cover the process.

The presidential election in such stages is a clear and
logical path; anyone elected would be accepted by all political
forces to the grassroots level.

Q: Would the candidate with the second largest share of the vote
automatically become vice president?

A: That depends on the agreement, whether the voting of a
president and vice president is to be in one package.

Q: Back to the earlier question on the possibility of PAN being a
significant factor in the MPR apart from the military...

A: If PAN obtained about 35 seats and the Indonesian Military
(TNI) obtained 38 seats (its quota of unelected seats according
to an MPR decree), the total of 73 seats would be significant
because everyone needs 351 seats to be able to be president. But
now the problem is... as an individual I want to remind people
that the presidential candidate should not only be an "either or"
(choice).

Q: But that condition could open up again the chance for you to
join in the presidential race even though PAN's share of the vote
is not substantial.

A: I am a democrat so I don't want to hide behind excuses. With a
small share of the vote (maybe 9 percent to 10 percent), the
claim to a presidential seat would not be sound...

And I don't mean to seek a chance just because there are two
big powers which a small party can take advantage of.

The role I want to take is an accommodating one, and this I
also discussed with Gus Dur.

Q: What, in a concrete sense, would that be?

A: That's a secret, just wait...

Q: Back to the presidential election, what if a deadlock occurs?

A: A deadlock -- in the absence of a settlement in the dispute
between the Golkar Party and PDI Perjuangan -- could pave the way
for a coalition, for example among the five big parties. We could
get together as fellow citizens and try to find a way out.

The meeting with Gus Dur was also aimed at solving the
sharpening (of differences) in our political situation.

Q: Does Megawati agree to such a way (of solving the problem)?

A: Actually we are all waiting for her to speak. Gus Dur as
founder of the PKB also said so, and so did (PKB chairman)
Mathori Abdul Jalil. I've often said so, and so has Hamzah
Haz... that leaves Megawati to say what she wants.