Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Despite increasing pressure from civil groups, minority parties and regional representatives, the major political parties continue to resist amending the Constitution, saying it would cause public confusion.
The Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the United Development Party (PPP), which constitute 396 of the 778 seats in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), said on Friday that now was not the right time to amend the Constitution and that there were no major political or emergency reasons to do so.
The parties instead called on the Assembly to campaign for the four amendments made to the Constitution between 1999 and 2002 to let the people see their affects on the political system and social welfares.
"There is no urgency for MPR to make a new amendment to the Constitution when all the changes made in the past have not been fully implemented," Andi Mattalata, chairman of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives, said in a discussion on Friday.
The National Awakening Party, The Prosperous Justice Party and Reform Star Party have recently joined forces with the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) to call on the MPR to amend the constitution to give the council full legislative rights and empower the two-room parliament system. The Assembly is a joint session of the House and the Council.
PDIP secretary general Pramono Anung Wibowo called on the 128-member DPD to do their jobs as mandated by the amended Constitution while parties were seeking a comprehensive reason to revise the amendments made to the Constitution in the past.
"The nation could not implement the reform agenda at once and the repair of the Constitution should be conducted gradually while evaluating its implementation," he said.
An alliance of political analysts and activists has also recently called on the MPR for a fifth amendment as the current Constitution gives political parties a monopoly in political recruitment, either through general elections and political selection, or the "fit and proper" tests conducted by the House.
According to the alliance, the parties' monopoly must be phased out by allowing independent candidates to contend presidential elections and local polls. The DPD should also be given more power in making laws to ensure a check and balance in the legislature, it says.
PPP deputy chairman Chozin Chumaidy said his party was aware of the DPD's political role in channeling regional interests and making legislation but it was not the right time to amend the Constitution because the DPD's problems could be settled by revising the law on the composition of legislature bodies.
"The PPP has no fear that the House will lose its legislative rights because any law made by the House and the DPD will benefit the public," he said.