Scholars oppose amending decree on triumvirate system
Scholars oppose amending decree on triumvirate system
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Noted political scientists condemned on
Wednesday a planned amendment to a 1973 People's Consultative
Assembly decree, which would allow top legislative officials to
assume executive duties if both the president and vice president
were incapacitated.
Cornelis Lay and Riswandha Imawan, both lecturers at the
Gadjah Mada University's School of Social and Political Sciences,
termed it "strange in politics and politically motivated".
The two suspected the plan was initiated by certain political
groups that were dissatisfied with the results of last year's
general election and the Assembly's general session which elected
President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri in October.
Cornelis said the maneuver targeted Megawati.
"That (proposal) doesn't make sense. Just think if the House
of Representatives' speaker holds the executive authority, then
who will control the government?" Cornelis said.
The 1973 decree states that a triumvirate of the minister of
home affairs, minister of foreign affairs and the Indonesian
Military chief will take over the executive duties in the unique
circumstances of both the president and vice president being
unable to carry out their state duties.
Under the Constitution, the vice president would automatically
take over from the president should the latter be incapacitated.
However, there is no designated successor if the vice president
also is unable to assume the presidential powers.
Cornelis said the proposed amendment would only harm the
democratic principle of trias-politica, or division of power.
Riswandha concurred, saying the proposal would disrupt the
mechanism of checks and balances.
"It's the House's duty to supervise the executive. I just
don't understand how they can submit such a proposal."
Riswandha speculated that the political alliance among Muslim-
oriented political parties, known as the "axis force", was behind
the proposal.
"They have gone too far because by submitting such a proposal,
which assumes that both President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice
President Megawati will experience something that may prevent
them from performing their duties."
Riswandha said neither the House speaker nor Assembly speaker
had the right to perform duties of the executive under any
conditions.
He insisted that the terms stipulated in the 1973 Assembly
decree were politically just. (44)