Scholars call for extensive change to system of govt

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)