Jakarta – A lawmaker, a government minister and a political expert called for a restructuring of the political system during a weekend seminar, saying the present system has numerous loopholes and flaws.
Deputy chairman of the House of Representatives' political commission, Effendi Choirie, suggested the country adopt a bicameral system, with two legislative chambers, to empower the parliament.
He said under the current parliamentary system, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) had no real power, even though it was under the House.
"I think the DPD should be able (to play its political role) and represent different elements of society," said Effendi, a member of the National Awakening Party, adding that under a bicameral system, the DPD would have more power to represent the people.
Effendi said the country's political system should be designed and empowered to fight for the rights and interests, both economic and social, of all citizens.
"The country's general election system should first and foremost consider the best interests of citizens," he said. "This will mean having the number of people's representatives from each region be based on the population of the different areas of the country."
As an example Effendi cited East Java, which has just four representatives in the DPD, although it is home to some 40 million people, "while Gorontalo, which is inhabited by 700,000 people, also has four representatives".
Another speaker at the seminar, State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault, said the political elite had to lead the way in moving the country forward. "If the political elite stay like this, this country will remain in this (current) state, no matter who leads (the country)," Adhyaksa said.
Critics of the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono say it has failed to address basic problems facing Indonesians, particularly unemployment and poverty.
Adhyaksa said the country needed a blueprint for its political development, taking an example of the United States which had its blueprint since its independence in 1776.
Indra J. Piliang of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said the challenge for Indonesia was whether the current multiparty system was compatible with the current presidential system.
"What needs to be done is to create a simpler multiparty system by increasing the electoral threshold and also the parliamentary threshold," said Indra.
Besides challenging the current multiparty system, Indra also questioned whether a truly democratic system was in the best interests of Indonesia. He said many democratic countries had failed in terms of economic growth, while undemocratic countries succeeded.