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[JAKARTA] Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives, Muhaimin Iskandar agreed to the suggestion of revising limitedly of Act No. 10/2008 on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives, City Council, and the Regional Parliament (Act on General Election) to accommodate the using of the majority votes to set the legislative member candidates.

However, he reminded not to let the revision extend to other articles. “We should be careful. Don’t let the limited revision interfere the stages of the general election even the system agreed by the Act," said Muhaimin in Jakarta, Monday (1/9).

It was said that if the limited revision was granted, there could be many parties that would suggest other articles to be revised. The National Awakening Fraction, he said, were still dissatisfied with several articles in the Act.

Because of that, if the wish to revise limitedly the Act of General Election should arise, this had to be carried out with care. It should not have been dragged into other parties which so far dissatisfied many parties.

"Besides that, the limited revision should not cause the arising of re-claiming to the Constitutional Court, like what happened before to this Act," he said.

Before, the Constitutional Court had annulled article 316 of Act No.10/2008 and allowed political parties in general election 2004 with at least 3 percent of the total seats in the Parliament to be participants in 2009 General Election. The Constitutional Court considered the articles to be against the constitution.

"We have to prevent these things. Don’t let this happen again. If the revision of Act on General Election is extended or get adrift, it will disturb the election system agreed on in the Act, which takes a long time, energy and long lobbies," said Muhaimin.

Separately, Vice-Head of Commission III from Golkar Party Fraction said, his party would still fight for the limited revision to create a better democratic process. "I wish that in the Deliberation Body meeting this week, the agenda or the limited revision could be discussed and passed on at the assembly meeting,” he said.

Before, the Speaker of the Parliament Agung Laksono said that the formulation of limited revision on Article 214 of Act on General Election was being synchronized in the Legislation Body. He expected that on Thursday (4/9), thee revision could be discussed by the Deliberation Board of the Parliament.

Government Attitude

Meanwhile, the government would support determining legislative candidates based on majority of votes. Moreover, the suggestion had been submitted by the government when the Bill was still in form of a draft. The Government was ready to support so long as the Parliament made the limited revision.

The government’s view was restated by the Minister of State Secretary, Hatta Rajasa in the Presidential Palace Jakarta, yesterday.

According to Hatta, determining elected candidates by using majority votes would give assurance for parties using proportional system with majority votes or open proportional system.

With that stipulation, continued the Minister from the National Mandate Party, parties cadres who did not get the top list candidate in their parties did not have to resign from the legislative members’ candidacy.

A number of fractions in the Parliament, like Democratic Party Fraction, Golkar Party Fraction, and National Mandate Party Fraction suggested a limited revision of Act No. 10/2008.

They suggested that article 214 be added by statement saying that should a party determine the inauguration of elected candidates by majority votes, they were sworn in by the Commission of General Election. [128/A-21]

Source: http://www.suarapembaruan.com/News/2008/09/02/Nasional/nas05.htm

Photo: Courtesy of Constitutional Court Public Relation Doc.
 
translated by: Yogi Djatnika

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