PDI Perjuangan backs 2004 direct presidential election

PDI Perjuangan backs 2004 direct presidential election

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
backed away from its initial bid to delay a direct presidential
election to 2009, in an agreement reached during a three-day
meeting in Bali last week.

In another important shift, the party also agreed to a second
round of direct presidential elections in case presidential
candidates failed to secure a majority vote of 51 percent in the
first round.

Earlier this month, President Megawati Soekarnoputri surprised
many when she claimed that the public were not ready for a direct
election in 2004, and suggested it be delayed to 2009.

PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Sutjipto said earlier that
Megawati told party officials to lobby other factions in the MPR
to support her proposal.

But PDI Perjuangan member Jakob Tobing, who chairs the
People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR) ad hoc committee in charge
of amending the 1945 Constitution, said on Saturday that the
party eventually settled for 2004.

Neither Sutjipto nor his deputy Pramono Anung, who chaired the
meeting in Bali, could be reached for confirmation.

The agreement followed last week's three-day meeting, which
was held to consolidate the party's position in facing the MPR's
Annual Session next month and the 2004 General Election.

In its 16 recommendations from the meeting, PDI Perjuangan
repeated its support for a direct presidential vote, yet
conspicuously did not mention which year.

Analysts have said Megawati's desire to delay a direct
election might signal her doubt over her chances of winning, even
though many believe her popularity remains unchallenged.

Debate over the direct presidential election is part of the
ongoing amendment process to the 1945 Constitution. In charge of
the amendment is an MPR ad hoc committee, which has been working
over the past three years.

The MPR is slated to wrap up talks on the amendment during its
annual session next month. Fears of a deadlock however surfaced
following PDI Perjuangan's apparent bid to delay a direct
presidential election.

Leading parties, like Golkar Party, the United Development
Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), said they
would push for direct presidential elections in 2004, defying the
country's largest party, PDI Perjuangan.

Jakob, however, said his party was committed to finalizing the
amendment process. "We want this to be over with in the session
next month."

A Summary of the 16 recommendations agreed on during PDI
Perjuangan's fourth national working meeting:

1. To support the party's faction leader to take all steps
necessary at the MPR Annual Session for the interests of the
people, nation and state.

2. To recommend to the party's central board and its MPR faction
to abide by the amendment of the 1945 Constitution with the key
principles of a unitary state of Indonesia, the Pancasila
ideology, the Constitution's preamble.

3. To support the chairwoman's mandate requesting an active role
from the faction in the MPR to finalize the amendment of the
Constitution in the 2002 MPR Annual Session.

4. To recommend the central board avoid deadlock at the annual
session.

5. To call on all members of the MPR to put forward national
interests on top of interest groups.

6. To suggest the central board revoke an 1967 MPR decree that
terminates the authority of former president Sukarno as part of
efforts to straighten historical records.

7. To request that political laws take into account the nation's
unity, stability and democracy.

8. To support a direct election by the public for the president
and vice president.

9. To ask the central board to revive the recalling mechanism,
which should only apply to legislators who have violated the
legislature's rules and regulations.

10. To ask all party members to guard its image of always abiding
by the reform mandate and to stand by the public's side as
stipulated in the party's chapter.

11. To urges all levels of the party to immediately conduct
education programs for party members.

12. To urge the central board to instruct all party chapters and
regional branches to draw up a working program and take strategic
steps.

13. To ask all levels of the party to establish and develop the
Mega Gotong Royong Cooperatives to help improve public welfare.

14. To urge the central board to immediately solve the Aceh
conflict through dialogue and by respecting human rights.

15. To urge the government to heed and protect the fate of
Indonesian workers, particularly women, and to take stern action
against state officials and other parties who abuse their power.

16. To urge authorities to take decisive action against drug
trafficking.