Scholars call for extensive change to system of govt

JAKARTA (JP): Political analysts say that the current debate on constitutional reform will be fruitless unless it is accompanied by an exploration of an entirely new system of government.

"We should put an end to the current MPR system as it can be used to restrict the people's sovereignty. Direct (presidential) elections are needed for a better future of Indonesia," said noted political analyst Harry Tjan Silalahi from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in a seminar here on Wednesday.

The seminar was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the CSIS.

Silalahi said the new government system should fully accommodate the sovereignty of the people without any distortion by any institution.

Indonesia adopts a presidential system but legal experts say it looks more like a quasi-parliamentary system with the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) holding the highest power.

J.B. Kristiadi, from the CSIS, said that in the current government system, the people's sovereignty was stunted by the MPR.

Political scientist Chusnul Mariyah said that the MPR system could not be defended anymore in a modern state administrative system as such a system only existed in communist countries.

"The MPR system is only comparable with the system in the former Soviet Union," Chusnul added.

Constitution

Silalahi, Kristiadi and Chusnul agreed that the 1945 Constitution should be replaced by a new constitution whose draft should be prepared by an independent commission.

The commission, they said, should comprise representatives from various sectors in society.

"We should make a new constitution, not merely amend the 1945 Constitution. We know that our current Constitution was created under emergency conditions," said Silalahi.

Independent

Kristiadi emphasized the importance of an independent commission to prepare the constitution and urged the MPR to issue a decree to establish such an independent commission at its annual session in November.

"Such a commission should consist of various experts on constitutional law, politics, international relations, economics and also representatives from all provinces in the country," Kristiadi said.

He added that the draft constitution prepared by the commission would be submitted to the MPR but the MPR could only either approve or reject it. The MPR should not be allowed to revise its contents.

He said he believed that the commission whose members would comprise various experts and provincial representatives would be able to create a perfect draft of the constitution.

"Therefore, the MPR can reject the draft, but must not change its contents," he said, adding that the new constitution would end the current political disorder which endangered the survival of the nation.

"With our current Constitution, we can only produce either a very strong president like Soeharto or a very weak one like Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid)," he stressed.

Another aspect which should be highlighted in the new constitution, Kristiadi said, was human rights protection.

"In Thailand, for example, there were 20 articles in their constitution which addressed human rights issues," he said.

The new constitution, he said, should also stipulate the state's commitment to combat the chronic corruption, collusion, and nepotism practices in the country.

A number of prominent local and foreign speakers in the seminar titled Indonesian Nationhood Revised included Roberto Romulo of the Philippines, Ross Garnaut of Australia, Paul Evans of Canada, Kim Kihwan of South Korea, Ronnie Chan of Hong Kong, Clyde Prestowitz of the United States, Rizal Mallarangeng and Rizal Sukma.

In his opening remarks, CSIS executive director Dr. Hadi Soesatro said that the centre was not a think tank affiliated to any political party as many people might have believed.

CSIS is an independent organization, whose members comprise intellectuals coming from various political parties, he said, with an aim to share ideas and give contribution to the public both at home and abroad.

As a non-profit institution, it spent some Rp 6 billion for its activities last year. (02/hbk)