Parties united in demand to keep proportional system

JAKARTA (JP): The three political parties represented in the House of Representatives were united on Monday in demanding the retention of the proportional representation (PR) voting system for next year's general election in preference to the government- proposed district system.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, which will be allocated seats without contesting the general election, expressed no opinion on the issue as the House began discussing the nitty-gritty of the new political bills.

The government-drafted bill on the election law proposes the use of an election system in which the majority of the 500 House seats will be contested in every district and only a small minority allocated through PR to give small parties some representation.

The United Development Party (PPP) said the PR system was never properly practiced during the 32-year regime of former president Soeharto.

The system was perverted and the regime manipulated the elections to give it constitutional legitimacy, the PPP faction said in a House special committee meeting discussing the bills.

The government-supported Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) argued for the retention of the PR system on the grounds that the nation did not have sufficient time to prepare for a different system if the general election was to be held by June at the latest, as the government has proposed.

Golkar argued for the PR system, but one in which every candidate be assigned to a regency rather than a province as in past elections.

Golkar won all six elections held under Soeharto using a system clearly designed to give it the maximum advantage, while PPP and PDI always came a distant second and third respectively.

Next year, however, the three parties will have to contest the general election against dozens of new parties that have been established since Soeharto's resignation in May.

The House's deliberations are open to the public, including representatives of the newly established political parties.

The House has set a Jan. 28 deadline to complete the three political bills, on elections, political parties and the composition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives and regional legislative councils.

Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid, representing the government at Monday's session, said he would leave the factions alone to deliberate and change the details of the bills.

The most important issue for the government, he said, was that the elections be "fair and just" and held in a "direct, general, free and confidential" manner.

"We want a strong DPR, and thus a legitimate government," Syarwan told the committee, adding that every point in the bills was open for discussion.

The special committee consists of 52 representatives from Golkar, 16 from PPP, five from PDI and 14 from the ABRI faction.

The three political parties represented in the House called for a reduction in the number of seats allocated to ABRI from the 55 proposed in the bill.

Golkar suggested 25 seats, while PPP argued for between 10 and 15. The PDI faction did not give a specific number.

The ABRI faction, which currently has 75 House seats, did not propose any figure but asked for a stipulation in the bill stating that the ABRI commander be given the sole responsibility for selecting the military's representatives in the House.

PPP fought hard to end ABRI's right to sit in the House during the Special Session of the MPR earlier this month and forced the Assembly to vote on the issue, albeit in vain.

All four House factions agreed to push to insert a stipulation to allow political parties to establish branches at village level.

ABRI warned that "political parties should use this opportunity with wisdom".

During Soeharto's regime the rural areas were ruled off-limits to all political parties except Golkar as part of the government's "floating mass" concept. PPP and PDI were only allowed to set up branches at regency level.

Golkar begged to differ from the government view that civil servants be allowed to contest the election on condition that they be relieved of their government posts if they get elected. The dominant faction also said that civil servants should be allowed to sit on political parties' executive boards.

PPP and PDI endorsed the suggestion to bar civil servants and ABRI members from joining political parties.

"They have to be neutral," PPP argued. "This must be practiced as soon as possible without having to wait for another law to enforce it."

Golkar endorsed the government proposal that a political party must set up branches in at least 13 provinces to contest the election.

PDI asked that this stipulation be reviewed given the little time available for new parties to meet the requirement before the election.

PPP also wanted a reduction in the number of MPR members to 600 from 1,000 "in order to minimize members who are appointed".

It said the MPR should consist of the 500 House members, 54 regional representatives and 46 representatives of societal groups.

PPP and PDI suggested that Cabinet ministers be barred from sitting in the MPR to prevent a conflict of interests, given that as ministers, they are serving the president, who in turn is accountable to the MPR. (aan)