PDI calls for amendments to electoral law
PDI calls for amendments to electoral law
JAKARTA (JP): The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has called for fundamental political reforms, including amendments to the law governing general elections.
Party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri told journalists last night that her party welcomed President Soeharto's recent commissioning of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to study alternatives to Indonesia's current proportional representation electoral system.
Megawati was hosting, at her home, a breaking of the fast dinner which was organized by FKGMNU, a youth group which is part of the country's largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and several other non-governmental organizations.
She said that, should a new electoral system be introduced, there should be fundamental changes, including an equal say for all political contestants in the planning and the implementation of general elections.
She rejected claims that her party was worried that its performance might be weakened by a change in the electoral system.
"I'm not worried about that, but I think that we should keep on struggling to have everything conducted in accordance with Pancasila (the state ideology)," she said.
Megawati said that a first-past-the post system, which is widely said to be the sole alternative to the current system, is usually used in liberal societies, something which Indonesia is not.
"We should take into consideration factors such as how far the society has developed, and to what extent democratization and openness are progressing," she said. "We should all go back to establishing national consensus in this matter."
Calls for changes to the electoral law resurfaced late last year as Indonesia's three political parties -- Golkar, the PDI and the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) -- began preparing themselves for the 1997 general election.
The PDI and PPP have repeatedly sought amendments to the electoral law, which, they have claimed, greatly favors the ruling party, Golkar. But their efforts to achieve reforms were blocked, during the 1993 convention of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), by a Golkar-Armed Forces alliance. The MPR, which is the country's highest legislative body, usually convenes only once every five years, following the general election.
Over 300 people, many of whom were student activists, as well as NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid attended the gathering. Poet and noted columnist Emha Ainun Nadjib and Kwik Kian Gie, chairman of the PDI research center, were also present.
Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, rejected suggestions that the gathering indicated a wish on his organization's part to have a closer alliance with the PDI.
"No, I'm here in my personal capacity, not on behalf of the NU," he said.
Last night's gathering was the second breaking of the fast dinner in less than 10 days attended by both the controversial Moslem leader and Megawati.
Megawati said that, more important than a change in the election system, was the fair, intimidation-free conduct of elections, whichever system be used.
"It doesn't matter which system we eventually choose,...unless it's conducted properly and in accordance with Pancasila, conditions will remain the same," she said. (swe)