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)