Voting sought in the election of national leaders

Voting sought in the election of national leaders

JAKARTA (JP): A fresh call was lodged yesterday for the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to introduce voting in the
presidential and vice presidential elections.

Senior politician Jaelani Naro said yesterday that voting was
the purest method for the election of national leaders according
to the 1945 Constitution.

"After failing to execute the stipulation for many years under
the New Order, we now need to educate people. Why should we wait
to see the Assembly vote for a president and vice president?"
said Naro who chaired the United Development Party from 1983 to
1988.

He said the practice could apply even if there was only one
candidate for each post.

"Voting has traditionally been used to elect heads of villages
and subdistricts, regents and governors. Don't be afraid of blank
ballots if it applies in the presidential election," said Naro.

The 1,000-member Assembly will elect a president on March 9
and a vice president two days later.

Incumbent President Soeharto looks certain to serve another
five-year term due to support from four out of the five factions
in the Assembly. In contrast, the race for the vice presidency
remains wide open.

In the past, the Assembly resolved to reach agreement on the
national leadership duo, rather than cast ballots. The Assembly
internal rule provides procedures for voting in case the five
factions come to a deadlock.

A 1973 Assembly decree, which currently remains effective,
stipulates that the vice president must be able to cooperate with
the president.

By convention, a vice president is chosen after consultation
with the elected president, which gives Soeharto the prerogative
to choose his second in command.

Naro in 1988 tried to break the routine when he challenged the
widely supported vice presidential candidate Sudharmono, but to
no avail. Mounting pressure forced Naro to withdraw his bid.

Recalling his aborted campaign, Naro said yesterday that
democracy had progressed a long way in the past 10 years, evident
by the number of people who had the courage to stand in the vice
presidential election.

"It's an encouraging development, although some of the
candidates look reluctant to openly declare their candidacy,"
Naro said.

Former minister of environment and coordinating minister for
economy, trade and finance Emil Salim was the last to announce
his willingness to join the race for the second top post.

On Tuesday, the widow of former House Speaker Amir Machmud,
Srie Amir Machmud, said she would gather support for the
nomination of former Governor of Bank Indonesia Arifin Siregar.

The Assembly has so far received 14 motions on the vice
presidential candidates from the public.

The nominees include incumbent Vice President Try Sutrisno,
Minister of Information R. Hartono, State Minister of Research
and Technology B.J. Habibie, State Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Army Chief of
Staff Gen. Wiranto. (amd)