Open voting

Open voting

From Sinar Pagi

The plan for an open vote to decide on the President's
accountability at the special session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) runs counter to the stipulation in
Article 85 (paragraph 5) of the Procedural Rule, which reads:
"Any voting concerning a person or an issue considered important
by the Assembly meeting shall be conducted secretly or in
writing." However, if this rule is followed, it would
automatically provide a loophole for money politics, because no
matter who the MPR members are, generous sums of money might
corrupt their original aim of representing the public and prompt
them to shirk their moral responsibilities and their commitment
toward the populace. This would all occur largely owing to the
obscurity of everything going on under the secret voting.

It's worthwhile, therefore, to first of all reach agreement on
the rules, particularly regarding the stipulation in question, in
order to prevent rumors of payoffs. The voting would in fact
finally lead to the acceptance or rejection of the President's
accountability. In the event of a rejection, Megawati
Soekarnoputri will assume presidency and appoint a vice president
as well as a new Cabinet. As widely speculated in the mass media,
former security coordinating minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
has the biggest chance of filling the VP position. As an
independent, professional and democratic figure, he has
emphasized the interests of the nation and state, shown during
his ministerial term. When President Wahid instructed him to
maintain public security, he managed to keep the situation under
control by exercising his wisdom, without sacrificing the
interests of the general public or expecting personal gains.

SUWARNO

Jakarta