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Issue of the day: Dems announce support for direct elections

Sept

The Jakarta Post
Tue, September 23, 2014

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Issue of the day:  Dems announce support for direct elections

S

strong>Sept. 18, Online

Acting Democratic Party chairman Syariefuddin Hasan has announced his party'€™s decision to support direct elections of regional leaders. He said the decision reflected the party'€™s commitment to democracy.

'€œWe have decided to lend our support to regional direct elections while making needed improvements to the mechanism,'€ Syarief told a press conference on Thursday.

He then outlined his party'€™s position as a balance in the country'€™s political arena, meaning that the Democratic Party would support the upcoming administration'€™s working programs that benefited the people, but it wouldn'€™t hesitate to adopt a different stance if the public'€™s welfare was at stake.

Your comments:

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono seems out of character for not conforming to the Constitution.

The Constitution under article 22E clearly states that direct general elections are for the DPR (House of Representatives), the DPRD (Provincial Legislative Council), the DPD (Regional Representatives Council) and president and vice president. If the Constitution wanted general direct elections for regional heads, it would have been stated in article 22E, but it isn'€™t.

Under the Constitution, the people hold the power, but in its implementation it conforms to the letter of the Constitution. The election law that is currently under revision in the House should conform to the Constitution which is the ultimate basis for all laws of the land.

The problem is that many people, including elites,  don'€™t quite understand the Constitution and think that direct regional elections are the people'€™s constitutional right, but they aren'€™t;  the Constitution does not stipulate direct general elections for regional heads. Now at the end of his presidency, SBY and the Democratic Party are, uncharacteristically, moving against the Constitution, playing safe as ever.  He will be remembered fondly by the people, and there is no chance in the world that he will be impeached.

For me, this discussion is all about the Constitution and direct general elections of regional heads. Not about for and against, and certainly not about the presidential election which is over and done with.

Why didn'€™t lawmakers include elections of governors, regents and mayors in article 22E of the Constitution? There must be a good reason; the mayors in Jakarta and the governor of Yogyakarta, for example, are not directly elected and people are ok with it. Why? Try to directly elect the governor of Yogyakarta, and you will be faced with an uproar!

Indirect elections are not always bad, and direct elections are not always good.

As an Indonesian, I am obliged to uphold the Constitution.

Estear

Article 18 of the Constitution states: '€œGovernors, regents and mayors as heads of government of the various provinces, regencies and cities are chosen democratically.'€

If indirect election of governors, regents and mayors is less democratic than direct election, then it can be considered unconstitutional. In any case, it is wrong to imply that the Constitution stipulates indirect election of governors, regents and mayors.

John Hargreaves

As it appears to me, SBY'€™s neutrality is just a waiting game that will come up trumps in the near future. Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo won, so the Dems join Jokowi; had Prabowo won, they would have joined Prabowo. It'€™s all about keep the Democratic Party'€™s head above water.

Animi

I commend Pak SBY and the Democrats for their decisive stand on the current legislative debate, and more importantly, for dignifying a democratic principle '€” respect the voters'€™ inherent right to express their preference at every electoral level, local, regional and national.

I hope SBY and the Democrats, though recently scarred by corrupt party officials, will redeem their prestige as defenders and protectors of democracy for all Indonesians.  This constructive role befits their party name, and remains true to their declared founding credo.   This role will be much appreciated by the people, unlike the spoiler role we are seeing played by the losing coalition. We are wasting a lot of effort on political infighting, and our political debates seem driven by desire for partisan victory rather than victory for sound ideas. We look forward to the Democrats'€™ aid in building Indonesia into a stronger and more stable democracy.        

Regardless of what the Constitution says, I strongly support the concept of direct elections, allowing the voters maximum opportunity to express their choice, recognizing their attendant control problems. So do not reduce the voters'€™ prerogative, work on the control measures to ensure a fair, open and free voting mechanism.

James Waworoendeng

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