Plan to reintroduce recall mechanism meets opposition

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A plan to allow political parties to dismiss dissenting members from legislative bodies ran into strong opposition from analysts on Friday, who argued that the move would revive authoritarianism among the parties.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Thursday that the new bill on the composition of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) authorized political parties to unseat their legislators for perceived infractions.

He also said the bill would require the House to establish a disciplinary committee to supervise the performance and conduct of its members.

Analysts warned that such a move would threaten the country's young democracy and stifle the people's political rights.

"We should reject the draft as it will establish a new authoritarianism among party leaders, just as happened during the New Order regime," Fachry Ali told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

During the leadership of former strongman Soeharto, legislators critical of government policies were arbitrarily recalled from the House by their respective parties.

Under the MPR composition bill, House members would have to surrender their seats should the party they represent dismiss them.

At present, a legislator is allowed to retain his or her House membership despite having been fired from his or her party.

Hartono Mardjono and Abdul Kadir Djaelani, both from the Crescent Star Party (PBB), and Abdul Khaliq Ahmad of the National Awakening Party (PKB) are among those who are still sitting in the House as independents, even though they have been fired by their respective parties.

"The parties cannot dismiss their legislators as they have been given a mandate by their constituents," added Fachry, director of the Institute for the Study and Advancement of Business Ethics (LSPEU Indonesia).

Political analyst Bachtiar Effendi voiced similar opposition to the bill.

"There should be no mechanism for dismissing legislators unless they have been found guilty of committing crimes," Bachtiar said.

"Such a bill should not be passed as it will allow parties to behave arbitrarily against their more non-conformist members in the House," he added.

Bachtiar said parties should sanction dissenting legislators by not renominating them at the subsequent election.

However, he backed a move to set up a disciplinary committee to supervise the conduct of legislators in carrying out their duties.

Bachtiar said such a committee should be aimed at "putting pressure" on legislators deemed guilty of violating the House code of conduct to resign their seats voluntarily.

Another observer, Andi Malarangeng, said the committee, not the political parties, should be allowed to dismiss legislators found breaching the code of conduct.

"Like in the United States, it is possible for a congressional disciplinary committee to unseat legislators," he said.