PDI backs study of electoral system
PDI backs study of electoral system
JAKARTA (JP): The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
fully supports President Soeharto's proposal to review the
current electoral system.
The President has assigned the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) to review the existing electoral system and has
requested it propose a better one if necessary.
Kwik Kian Gie, PDI's research and development section chief,
said yesterday that the party hopes the study will bring about
results that will help promote democracy in Indonesia.
He noted, however, that whatever the researchers recommend,
what really counts is the actual implementation of the general
election.
"Everyone knows general elections have never been carried out
in an honest and fair manner in Indonesia," Kwik told The Jakarta
Post.
These conditions, he said, urgently need improving if
democracy in the country is to be strengthened.
"PDI believes that the existing pseudo democracy in the
country cannot be improved simply by choosing between a
proportional or a district election system, or by deciding
whether or not the number of House members from the Armed Forces
faction should reduced," he said.
In PDI's view, he argued, Indonesia's quasi democracy is
mainly the result of the political attitude of the ruling elite
who is unprepared to face defeat by another political party, even
through an honest and fair election.
President Soeharto last week ordered the Institute of Sciences
to search for the "best electoral system" in response to critic's
charges that Indonesia practices pseudo democracy.
Kwik said the institutional and mechanical aspects of
elections in the country were adequate although there is still
room for improvement.
He hoped, however, that LIPI would take into account the
psychological aspects and the values of "nobleness, sincerity and
sportsmanship" in determining a suitable election system for the
country.
Kwik said that whether or not democracy is practiced in a
country depends on the attitude of the political actors and
whether they were democratic or not.
He said that there are regimes, such as the old Rumania under
Ceaucescu and Philippines under Marcos, which claim to be
republican but which are ruled more like megalomaniacally
reigned.
"Politicians and public figures are made afraid to speak their
beliefs. Fear is implanted by making their lives miserable
whenever they say something they believe is right but displeasing
to those in power," Kwik said.
The power holders have access to public facilities vital to
guarantee their security.
Kwik said that several cases in Indonesia have already led to
a similar notion. "For example, we can no longer distinguish
between Harmoko's role as Chairman of Golkar and as Minister of
Information, which is backed up by the multitude of media and
communication facilities."(pwn)