PDI Perjuangan wants simultaneous elections in 2004
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has backed calls for both presidential and legislative elections to take place at the same time in 2004, citing economic and socio-political reasons.
"For now, we still believe that it would be more appropriate to hold simultaneous elections for the presidency and the legislature," PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Soetjipto quoted Megawati as saying.
Speaking to journalists after a weekly meeting at the party's head office in South Jakarta on Tuesday, Soetjipto argued that it would be more efficient to hold the elections concurrently.
He added that simultaneous elections for the presidency and legislature would curb possible outbreaks of social and political tension or clashes between supporters of rival political groups, which had been frequent in the past.
Megawati's views contradicts those of the leaders of other political parties, who insist on maintaining the old practice of separating the presidential election from the poll for the legislature.
According to Soetjipto, Megawati told the meeting that the state budget deficit and popular emotions should be taken into account in deciding on the best arrangements for elections.
"Two separate elections mean more money and the time gap will end up producing a prolonged period of uncertainty," Soetjipto said.
He warned that election campaigns had always affected the country's political stability and that the PDI Perjuangan could not imagine the risks involved in organizing separate presidential and legislative elections.
However, he said that the nation's biggest party would not rule out the possibility of changing its stance on the holding of both elections.
"We can still change our stance if we deem it more advantageous to hold the two elections separately," Soetjipto remarked.
Public debate has surfaced on whether it will be efficient and effective to hold the presidential and legislative elections separately or simultaneously.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set the date for the general election to elect a new legislature for June 2004, but has refrained from setting a date for the direct presidential election.
The House of Representatives and the government are currently deliberating the political bills, during which process the date of the election will be decided upon.
However, deputy KPU chairman Ramlan Surbakti suggested on Tuesday that the presidential and legislative elections be held separately in order to ensure their quality.
"The presidential and legislative elections should not be held simultaneously as this would undermine the quality of both polls," he said.
"If the elections are held at the same time, many political issues will run out of control and this will make the elections defective," Surbakti added.
Bambang Widjojanto, a senior activist from the Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia, said that even if the presidential and legislative elections were to be held at different times, they should still both be held in 2004.
Electoral timetables outlined by KPU
November 2002 - April 2003: Registration and verification of political parties contesting general elections.
June 2003: Decision on eligible parties contesting elections.
July 2003: Deadline for voter registration and announcement of number of contested seats for local councils.
August 2003: Nomination of local and central legislators by parties and members of regional representatives council (DPD) by individuals.
September-October 2003: Public responses to list of names of legislative candidates.
November 2003: Announcement of permanent lists of local and national legislators, and DPD members.
December 2003: Nomination of presidential and vice presidential candidates by political parties.
January 2004: Announcement of permanent list of voters.
February 2004: Public responses to presidential and vice presidential candidates.
March 2004: Announcement of eligible presidential and vice presidential candidates.
April-May 2004: Election campaigns by political parties.
June 2004: Voters go to the polls and announcement of election winners
July 2004: Announcement of elected legislative candidates.
Date of direct presidential election depends on deliberation of political bills in the House of Representatives.