Politicians in support of a proposed amendment that would loosen regulations on nominating presidential candidates say the recent decision to put the talks on hold will be detrimental to next year’s election.
Fadli Zon, a deputy chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement party (Gerindra), said on Wednesday that his party was among those that agreed to amendments of the 2008 Presidential Election Law, especially on the revision of the presidential threshold. Under the current law, political parties are required to have at least 20 percent of seats at the House of Representatives or win 25 percent of votes in the legislative election in order to be eligible to nominate a presidential candidate.
“The postponement of deliberations on amendments to the Presidential Election Law is unfortunate, keeping in mind that the presidential election is drawing near,” Fadli said.
He proposed that the public be involved in the discussions, instead of giving parties full handle over the debate.
“Because it is the public who will be electing the president, [we] need to hear the people’s aspirations in regards to the candidacy regulations,” he said.
Fadli emphasized that Gerindra was not merely proposing the move over fears it would not meet the threshold should the numbers remain unrevised, but because it deemed the threshold a petty regulation in the presidential election system.
“Without the presidential threshold, our presidential system today is already very strong, [it is] even the strongest in the world. It is better for this discourse to be brought to the public,” he said, adding that the presidential threshold only further endorsed practices of political horse-trading and hampered the nation’s best minds from earning an opportunity to lead the nation.
Moreover, the issue mirrors practices of a systemic oligarchy by political parties that disrespects citizens’ rights, Fadli said.
“At the end of the day, political oligarchy is what denies citizens of the state of their right to nominate themselves as president,” Fadli added.
Aboebakar Al-Habsyi, a legislator from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which was also in favor of the revision, urged discourse over the law to continue as adjustments needed to be made in line with developments in the current political scene.
Aboebakar said on Wednesday that revising the threshold was among the most important issues and that it would be better if every party was given an equal chance to nominate a presidential candidate.
“Therefore, the public will have fresh alternatives for candidates, instead of seeing the same faces over and over again,” he said.
He added that it was necessary to revise the election system because room for independent candidates to run for president was blocked by the Supreme Court.
“Let’s not let more [presidential candidacy] opportunities be blocked with the high presidential threshold,” he said.
On Tuesday, the House decided to postpone plans to revise the Presidential Election Law until October, with five parties stating their opposition to any amendments and four being in favor.
The parties that stood against the amendment were the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB). The United Development Party (PPP) and the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) joined Gerindra and the PKS in support of a revision.
by:Markus Junianto Sihaloho
source:http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/revision-delay-risks-2014-election/
