Political bills to be finalized by the end of this month
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although amendments to the 1945 Constitution have not been completed, the government is currently putting the finishing touches to new bills on political affairs, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno says.
Briefing the press after a Cabinet meeting here on Thursday, Hari said that the drafts were expected to be completed by the end of April.
"We hope to complete the drafts in April and submit them to the House of Representatives as soon as possible thereafter," Hari told journalists.
The bills on political parties, general elections, and composition of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would be the subject of interdepartmental and Cabinet discussions before they were submitted to the House for deliberation, Hari said.
He did not say how long the interdepartmental discussions would take.
As MPR members have not completed the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, the election bill is presumed to be based on a previous agreement that the country would have a direct presidential election in 2004.
According to Hari, the bill on political parties proposes that political parties should be independent and receive no financial assistance from the government. The draft also maintains the current electoral threshold of 2 percent, instead of 5 percent as proposed by certain quarters.
Currently, political parties receive financial aid from the government based on the number of seats they garnered in the general election.
As the 2004 general election draws nearer, the country's General Election Commission (KPU) has repeatedly urged the government to immediately submit the bills on political parties and general elections to the House for deliberation.
Meanwhile, chairman of the MPR's Ad Hoc Committee I in charge of constitutional revision, Jacob Tobing, urged the government to draft and submit the political bills to the House as soon as possible.
"There is no problem at all. The government can draft the two bills without waiting for the amendment process," Jacob told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
He underlined the fact that MPR members had agreed to hold a direct presidential election in 2004.
He also said that the government should immediately issue regulations on the requirements for political parties to participate in general elections.
Ad Hoc Committee I member Baharuddin Aritonang of the Golkar faction also urged the government to submit the drafts of the revised political laws to the House.
According to Aritonang, the bills on political parties and general elections should be submitted as soon as possible to the House, while the third law could be forwarded later.
He also expressed optimism that the amendment of the 1945 Constitution would be completed by July this year.