New voting system appears complex but more reliable

New voting system appears complex but more reliable

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A plethora of political parties and a long list of candidates
await voters in the 2004 election, but analysts say the extra
trouble may ensure elected lawmakers will heed voters' interests
instead of only those of their own party.

"The election bill aims to bind better legislators with their
constituents," said political analyst and member of the General
Elections Commission (KPU) Mulyana W. Kusumah on Wednesday.

The House of Representatives is deliberating new elections
legislation as a consequence of the recent amendment to the 1945
Constitution.

Under the revised Constitution, the People's Consultative
Assembly consists only of elected representatives of regions and
political parties, leaving out the current interest groups.

But demands for a more accountable legislature are driving the
debate for new elections legislation.

The present law adopts a proportional system, meaning voters
elect political parties that appoint their members to the
legislature based on their share of the popular vote.

Critics say this method distorts voter representation and is
blamed for lawmakers bowing more to the interest of their parties
than of constituents.

Political analyst Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia
suggested the adoption of the district system, which would enable
voters to choose their representatives directly, making for a
more legitimate and accountable representation.

But Mulyana added the election bill appeared to be aiming for
the middle ground between the district and proportional system.

Article 6 of the bill calls for a proportional system while
introducing what is called an open candidate list. The list names
party candidates whose total number is twice that of the seats
available in one election area, then leaves it up to voters whom
to choose.

"Parties may appoint their candidates; however, the final say
rest with the voters," Mulyana explained.

But the downside of the open list system is the sheer number
of candidates voters must sift through. Under the bill, each
party may submit two candidates for every seat at the
legislature, or in total 1,100 candidates for the House's 550
seats. More than 200 new political parties have lined up to join
the 2004 ballot.

To cut back on the number of candidates, election areas will
be allotted only a share of the House's 550 seats, whereas the
political party bill also aims to slash the number of parties
through stringent qualification requirements.

An alternative to an open candidate list is a closed one,
where political parties select their candidates from an internal
list of the party.

Legislator Firman Jaya Daeli of the largest party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), favored
the closed candidate list.

According to him, the open list was difficult to implement
because of the size of ballot papers needed on which to list the
candidates.

The larger the paper, the higher the risk they would get
damaged, which would render the papers invalid, he argued.

Mulyana, however, said legislators feared the open list system
might spark rivalry between candidates from the same party, thus
threatening their unity.

"There is a desire among parties to go back to the
proportional system for fear of splitting up," he said.