House Declines Amendment to Law on Presidential Elections

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg) has finally decided to decline the proposal to revise Law No.42/2008 on presidential elections. “We took this decision after a heated debate last night,” Baleg chairman Ignatius Mulyono said at the House compound yesterday.

Ignatius said he would present the decision to a House plenary session next week. With this decision, the Democrat Party lawmaker added, the House would cease the discussion regarding the amendment to the law on presidential elections. Major parties rejected last night the amendment to the law while middle parties were split in their decisions.

Five factions at the House opposing the amendment are the Democrat Party, Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the National Awakening Party (PKB). Golkar Party has announced it will nominate its chief, tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, as its presidential candidate while PAN nominated its chairman, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa.

The People’s Conscious Party (Hanura) and the United Development Party (PPP) supported the amendment while the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) conditionally rejected the amendment.

Lawmakers Ahmad Yani from PPP and Djamal Aziz from Hanura walked out of the meeting room following the announcement of the decision. “The PPP faction will not be responsible for the Baleg’s decision,” Ahmad said.

Those in support of the revision said Article Nine of the Law on presidential elections was against the 1945 Constitution. The article requires parties or coalitions of parties to secure 20 percent of House seats or win 25 percent of the popular vote in the legislative elections.

“The 1945 Constitution does not stipulate requirements to nominate a presidential candidate,” Ahmad said.

SUNDARI