'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.