Tomi Soetjipto, Jakarta – Indonesia's supreme legislative assembly elected a leading reformist as speaker on Sunday in its first contested vote since the 1950s, a step which could be crucial in the fight for the presidency.
After a debate which lasted most of the day the 700-member assembly – which later this month will choose the country's next president – picked Amien Rais, popular reform leader and head of the minority National Mandate Party. Rais, who polled 305 votes, immediately pledged to reform the constitution and tighten control over the new government.
Though it is officially one of the most powerful positions in Indonesia, past autocratic presidents ensured the chairmanship of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) went to figures who toed the government line.
In second place was the head of the Moslem-backed Nation Awakening Party, Matori Abdul Djalil, with 279 votes. He was backed by the leading Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), headed by presidential frontrunner Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Rais is a key member of the so-called "central axis" of Moslem and reform politicians which is backing Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid in the October 20 presidential election.
"I will look at the MPR decrees and take out those which are not necessary, and go on with an effort to amend the 1945 constitution," Rais told reporters after the vote.
Rais gave no details but he is widely known to back far greater provincial autonomy in the huge archipelago and wants to curb the political role of the powerful military.
"I hope that the upcoming government, whoever the president is, can be checked every year, not every five years," he added.
Indonesia's first two presidents were autocrats and the third and current incumbent, the deeply unpopular B.J. Habibie, has only been in the job just over 16 months. He is widely expected to lose the October 20 presidential election.
Initially, Abdurrahman Wahid had been favourite for MPR speaker, which would have kept him out of the presidential race.
Though almost blind and in poor health, the 58-year-old Wahid has been viewed as a possible compromise presidential candidate if former opposition leader Megawati is unable to win enough support in the newly-formed assembly.
Her party has the most seats in the assembly but not enough to dictate the result in the presidential vote. Analysts said if she ran alone against Habibie she would almost certainly win.
If Wahid joins the race, it could split reformists trying to end the legacy of disgraced autocrat Suharto, who after more than three decades in power was forced to step down in May last year, handing the presidency to his acolyte Habibie. The elections of speaker and president will be the first real contests since the 1950s in the MPR, which in later decades became a "rubber stamp" assembly.
The body is dominated by freely elected lawmakers after general elections for the lower House of Representatives in June, the nation's first free vote since 1955. Megawati's party won the biggest share of the vote in June, but fell short of a majority.