PDIP, Golkar back direct vote in 2004
Kurniawan Hari and Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With only ten days to go to the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Golkar factions continued their lobbying forum to avoid deadlock in the process of constitutional amendment.
Leaders of both factions said that they were trying to harmonize their differences on the substance of the amendment.
Following a two-hour lobbying meeting on Monday, leaders of PDI Perjuangan and Golkar factions agreed that the direct presidential election would take effect at the 2004 general election.
"We will urge the House and President to finish soon their deliberations on laws needed for the 2004 general election," said Fahmi Idris, chairman of the Golkar faction in the Assembly after a lobbying session here on Monday.
According to Fahmi, the message would be conveyed by his faction in recommendations to the House and President after delivering annual progress reports.
Chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction Arifin Panigoro concurred with Fahmi, adding that his faction would push the House to complete deliberations on the three political laws -- on political parties, elections, and composition of the MPR, House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Legislative Councils (DPDs), and Regional Legislatures (DPRDs).
The statement of the party leaders dispelled fears that the implementation of a direct presidential election would be delayed to 2009.
PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri claimed recently that the public was not ready for a direct presidential election.
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said earlier that the implementation of a direct presidential election could be postponed to 2009.
Two political bills on political parties and elections were set to be deliberated at the House in mid-August while a bill on the composition of legislative bodies was still being outlined, pending the final amendment to the Constitution.
Secretary of the Assembly's ad hoc committee for constitutional amendment (PAH 1) Ali Masykur Musa said that despite discussion on the possibility of delaying the new electoral system, no faction had formally requested a delay.
Ali of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction said demands for a delay in the direct presidential election would also mean inconsistencies because all factions had endorsed the new system last year.
Meanwhile, PAH 1 chairman Jakob Tobing emphasized it would all depend on the DPR whether a direct presidential election could be implemented in 2004 or not.
He added that the Assembly would complete only the constitutional amendment while its operations would be determined by the House through enactment of the political bills.
Jakob expressed optimism that the Annual Session could finish the fourth batch of constitutional amendments in August.
He said all unresolved issues that still had alternative solutions could be voted upon. The legislators, however, were trying to reach consensus to solve the problem.
"We will try to reach a consensus until the final minutes of the Annual Session," he added.
Responding to suspicion that backroom deals were going on between PDI Perjuangan and Golkar, Fahmi said that the Assembly would present an explanation to the public on July 28 on the result of a series of lobbies on the constitutional amendment.
Meanwhile, MPR speaker Amien Rais expressed his support for the move by House legislators to proceed with the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.
"It will set a bad precedent for the democratization of this country if the constitutional amendment is halted," Amien said in Padang, West Sumatra, after attending a mass prayer held by the West Sumatra chapter of the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization on Monday.
He said the 1945 Constitution was far from perfect, and any willingness to amend it was a positive response to the current political turbulence.