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Democracy in peril as parties seek to scrap direct elections
The MPR has discussed with party and mass organization leaders the planned amendments. The most recent meeting was with NU on Wednesday, during which the organization suggested reviving the New Order-style political system, in which the president and vice president were elected by the MPR, not directly by the people.
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Demonstrators stage a rally calling on the nation to save democracy in a protest on Jl Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, in June. (Antara/M. Risyal Hidayat)
T
he nation has only enjoyed four direct presidential elections since 2004, as a result of the 1998 reform movement, yet influential figures and leaders of political parties continue to attempt to roll back this aspect of Indonesia’s democracy.
Against the backdrop of power sharing after the April election, political parties through the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) recently voiced the need to make constitutional amendments.
As the MPR determines public opinion on such amendments, the government, political parties and the country's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) have come up with the idea of scrapping direct elections.
The MPR has discussed with party and mass organization leaders the planned amendments. The most recent meeting was with NU on Wednesday, during which the organization suggested reviving the New Order-style political system, in which the president and vice president were elected by the MPR, not directly by the people.
NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj said the idea was a recommendation of the ulema, citing their concerns over the high cost of direct presidential elections and their contribution to political division, social conflict and polarization.
MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo had suggested the same idea when he was the House of Representatives speaker. At that time, many public representatives rejected the idea, including President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo himself. Bambang then insisted that the direct presidential election system would be maintained and the amendment would only relate to reviving the now-defunct State Policy Guidelines (GBHN).
Besides the idea of ditching direct presidential elections, Home Minister Tito Karnavian has also put forward a plan to scrap direct regional elections in particular regions on security grounds.
