House-DPD trial resumes over poll law

Desy Nurhayati , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 05/14/2008 10:32 AM | National

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday resumed hearing a dispute between the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) over the new election law that allows political party members to run for the council.

The DPD is requesting the court revoke or amend articles 12 and 67 of the law, which allow not only party members but also non-local residents to contest the DPD election in any province.

Such stipulations violate the Constitution, which says only individuals and local residents can run as DPD candidates in a specific province, according to the council.

The previous election law said DPD members had to reside for at least three years in the province they represented. It also banned political party members from contesting DPD elections.

Council deputy speaker Laode Ida said during Tuesday's hearing that having political party members in the DPD would destroy the council's impartiality.

Lawmaker Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who is representing the House in the case, denied the DPD's claim that the House intentionally scrapped the two requirements in the previous election law to favor the interests of political parties.

"Obliging candidates to reside in the region they represent and forbidding party members from running in DPD elections will only limit the rights of voters over the figures they can elect," he said.

During the deliberation of the law, he said, most factions in the House agreed there was no need to require DPD candidates to reside in the province they represented.

"The factions agreed that the issue was not about the domicile requirement, but that every region could be represented by any resident," added Lukman, who is chairman of the House's United Development Party faction.

"We cannot assure that candidates residing in the region they represent understand the local problems and will be able to bring solutions to improve the regions," he said.

He denied the election law was written to accommodate the interests of political parties.

Constitutional Court President Jimly Asshiddiqqie, who presided over the session, said the court was not yet able to rule on the case and would hear testimony from the government in the next session.