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View all search resultsDemocrats' rebellion could kill direct election
The proposal to abolish the direct election of local heads is likely to go ahead as members of the Democratic Party faction at the House of Representatives seem to be refusing to toe their party line
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T
he proposal to abolish the direct election of local heads is likely to go ahead as members of the Democratic Party faction at the House of Representatives seem to be refusing to toe their party line.
Only two days before the crucial vote to decide whether to maintain the direct-election mechanism or abolish it, Democratic Party executives appeared to have lost out to their party colleagues in the House.
On Tuesday, Democrat deputy chairman Max Sopacua said the House faction had instructed all of its members to attend Thursday's plenary meeting in order to cast their votes.
But Max said there was no guarantee that the call would be heeded by the 148 lawmakers. 'We did encourage our lawmakers to attend the [plenary] meeting. However some of them, particularly those who failed to get reelected, might have a different opinion,' Max said.
Only 35 of the current 148 Democratic Party lawmakers were re-elected in the April 9 legislative election.
Max, a member of House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs, said the party central board could impose sanctions on lawmakers who skipped the meeting, but it could only be applied to those who had an institutional position within the party.
- Democratic Party politicians hold the key to Sept. 25 vote
- Party is torn between supporting direct elections or losing House leadership positions
Democratic Party faction leader Nurhayati Ali Assegaf said she could understand if lawmakers had different opinions regarding the amendment. 'We'll leave the discussion on what kind of punishment will be meted out to members who decline to toe the party line to the executive board,' Nurhayati said.
Speculation is rife that the Democratic Party is split as its key politicians at the House have been offered leadership positions in either the House or the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) if the Red-and-White Coalition succeeds in its plan to abolish direct elections.
The lack of firm guidance by the Dems' party leadership could be seen as a sign of support for the coalition, which is led by unsuccessful presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.
So far, the proposal to drop direct elections has secured the support of a total of 273 House members, from the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Gerindra Party.
The opposite side meanwhile only has the support of 139 lawmakers from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party.
A yes vote from all members of the Democratic Party faction would effectively kill the direct-election system in the country.
A demand from the Democrat faction to include 10 points in the draft bill, including a stipulation that an incumbent could block a rival candidate from running in a local election, appears to be an attempt by the party to play one side off against the other.
The proposal was one of a list of improvements to the bill that also include, among other things, cost efficiencies, better management of political campaigns, funding accountability and a ban on candidates with a history of vote-buying or engaging in smear campaigns.
According to lawmaker Hakam Naja, who leads the working committee, the majority of the points of improvement had already been adopted in the existing draft with the exception of the block on rival candidates as demanded by the Democratic Party.
'This is a crucial point. The majority of factions have rejected such a proposal over concerns that an incumbent might abuse the authority in order to win an election,' Hakam said.
Separately, analyst Ardian Sopa from the Jakarta-based Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) said the chaotic situation within the Democratic Party could be blamed on Yudhoyono's cryptic message about his support for direct elections.
'He could have just said that all party members must follow his instruction,' Ardian said.
