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epresentatives of the House’s major political parties have voiced their rejection of a proposal to open presidential elections to independent candidates, making it likely that contenders will continue to rely on the support of parties.

According to one party representative, the proposal of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) was at best “good, but inapplicable” and was at worst too vague.

Democratic Party national executive board member Sutan Bhatoegana questioned the motives of the DPD in wanting to amend the Constitution so that presidential hopefuls unaffiliated with political parties could run for office.

“Don’t change our Constitution using a ‘trial-and-error’ approach. This nation will never become great if amending the Constitution becomes a habit,” he said.

The DPD, which has limited legislative powers, has been pushing for a fifth amendment to the 1945 Constiutution to give the Council powers on par with those of the House of Representatives.

In recent months the council has changed its stance on the proposal, saying that an amendment was needed to give non-partisan candidates a chance at the in polls.

National Mandate Party (PAN)secretary-general Taufik Kurniawan said the proposal was interesting –but he had no clue as to how to implement it.

“The DPD must think more deeply about it,” he said. “Learning from local leaders about independent candidates, I’m afraid that a non-partisan candidate, with no support from political parties, will find it difficult to deal with political pressure from the House if elected.”

Councillors from the DPD acknowledged that it would not be easy to pave the way for independent candidates as Constitutional amendments had to be approved by one-third of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), which is comprised of DPD councilors and House lawmakers.

The 132 members of the DPD backing the draft amendment comprise a minority of the MPR when compared to the House’s 560 lawmakers from nine political parties.

The DPD would thus have to lobby politicians to gain support, DPD chairman Irman Gusman said.

“We have begun lobbying and holding intensive communication with political parties. We realize that their support will be very important for this matter,” Irman said.

The support given the amendment by one House party, the United Development Party (PPP), was dwarfed by rejections from larger parties such as the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

PPP deputy secretary-general M. Romahurmuziy said there was no reason to reject the proposal. “The more aggressive political parties are in rejecting [the proposal], the more apathetic the public will become,” he warned.

One analyst said politicians were anxious about competing with independent candidates amid their declining popularity in recent years.

“Politicians should have used the proposal as momentum to reform themselves. Those who have lost their trust in political parties might accuse them of simply trying to maintain an oligarchy,” Arie Sudjito, a political analyst from the Gadjah Mada University, said.

The proposal to allow independent candidates would not have emerged if political parties had been effective channels for the people, he said.

The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) reported in 2010 that an increasing number of people were declining to back parties. The institute said that the House’s approval rating was 56 percent at the end of 2010, against a 48-percent rating for parties.

Party standpoints

Democratic Party: Strong rejection

Golkar Party: Rejects the idea

PAN: Rejects the idea

PKS: Substantially agrees, but considers it difficult to implement

PPP: Supports the idea but requires clear criteria for independent candidates

PKB: Suggests that the idea is good but not applicable

PDI-P: Strongly rejects the idea

Gerindra: Rejects the idea

Hanura: No clear stance