'PDI Perjuangan lacks confidence'

'PDI Perjuangan lacks confidence'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The apparent indecisiveness of the ruling Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) on the implementation of a
direct presidential election in 2004 indicated that the party's
leaders had very little confidence about getting reelected by the
majority of voters, observers said.

Political observer Arbi Sanit and Center for Electoral
Reform's (Cetro) advocacy director Hadar N. Gumay also said, as a
result, the party had no commitment to the reform agenda -- which
called for direct elections as one of the top reform priorities.

"It shows that (President) Megawati has neither political
confidence nor a clear platform," Arbi said here on Sunday.

Hadar concurred, saying that the reformist opposition shown by
PDI Perjuangan was due to calculations that Megawati would have a
slim chance of winning the 2004 election should a direct vote be
implemented.

"This is all about short-term political goals and the party
has no confidence (that it can win a direct election)," Hadar
told The Jakarta Post.

Both observers were commenting on the unwillingness of PDI
Perjuangan to adopt a direct presidential election in 2004,
despite the fact that it had been endorsed as part of the third
amendment to the 1945 Constitution last year.

Megawati, who chairs the party, said last week that she wanted
the direct presidential election to be delayed until 2009, while
blaming average voters by claiming that they were "not ready".

With the most seats in the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR), 181, their opposition to a direct presidential vote would
bring the fourth batch of amendments to a deadlock at best, and
possibly kill them.

PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Sutjipto, however, said that
the party would "play it safe and go with the flow" at the Annual
Session of the MPR scheduled for August.

Meanwhile, MPR Speaker Amien Rais said on Sunday that he
recently met Megawati for a discussion on the constitutional
amendment.

Amien who chairs the fifth largest party, the National Mandate
Party (PAN), was optimistic that the constitutional amendment
would be completed in August, and said the consequences of not
doing so would result in a crisis.

"If the amendment is stalled, there will be no election in
2004. There will be a crisis because Megawati's term will end in
2004," he said.

He added that some crucial pending issues would be completed
at the Annual Session.

The issues were, among others, whether or not to keep the
appointed Interest Group Faction (FUG) in the MPR as well as the
second round of a presidential election.