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Yudhoyono does not deserve to be called hero for issuing Perppu: Analyst
Despite having issued two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) to bring back direct elections for regional heads, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono does not deserve to be described as a hero, an analyst says
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D
espite having issued two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) to bring back direct elections for regional heads, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono does not deserve to be described as a hero, an analyst says.
Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) executive director Titi Anggraini said that it was a normal thing for Yudhoyono, who is also the chairman of the Democratic Party, to issue the regulations. Therefore, there was no need to make too great a deal about it.
'Yudhoyono had to issue the Perppu whether people liked it or not. But, it does not mean that he has become a hero,' she said on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.
She hoped that factions at the House of Representatives, which previously supported direct elections for regional heads, would commit to upholding their stance in a bid to return regional elections to the people.
Yudhoyono, who will leave office on Oct. 20, issued on Thursday two Perppu to repeal the two controversial laws that have revoked direct elections for regional heads. He stated that the Perppu were urgently needed to protect 204 local elections scheduled for next year from potential chaos because of the drastic changes entailed by the laws.
In a controversial vote that saw a walkout staged by Yudhoyono's Democratic Party faction, the House of Representatives passed the Regional Elections (Pilkada) Law last week, which ended 10 years of direct regional elections. Amendments to the Regional Administration Law soon followed to adjust to the major changes entailed in the regional elections.
The votes provoked nationwide public outcry and condemnation of the President and his party. (alz)
