Jakarta – Independent candidates are likely to contest regional elections in 14 provinces, regencies and municipalities next year, giving a significant boost to the democracy movement.
Among the provinces that will experience fully fledged democratic regional elections next year are North Sumatra, Yogyakarta and South Sulawesi.
Chairman of the Constitutional Court Jimly Asshiddiqie confirmed Sunday that the government would soon issue a ruling that will regulate regional elections and the participation of independent candidates. Jimly said such a commitment was made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself.
"The President told me yesterday that the (recent) ruling of the Constitutional Court on independent candidates has been made in accordance with the court's authority. The government and the House of Representatives will take the necessary action to issue a regulation on (independent candidates') participation in regional elections," Jimly said, as quoted by detik.com news portal during his visit to the new office of the Constitutional Court, which will be opened by President Yudhoyono on Monday.
The court issued a ruling on July 23 allowing independent candidates to contest local elections, annulling some points in the 2004 Regional Autonomy Law, which stipulates that only candidates endorsed by political parties can run for local elections. The ruling came too late for Jakarta, which held its first direct gubernatorial election last Wednesday.
Jimly said that the ruling on independent candidates could be implemented as soon as January 2008. "Hopefully, everything can be implemented in January 2008 in accordance with the people's expectations and the Constitutional Court's ruling," said the constitutional law professor at the University of Indonesia.
He said he considered independent candidates' participation in regional elections such an important matter that he had decided to directly discuss the ruling's implementation with the President himself.
"I consider it important to directly question him on the matter. I have received many letters from regional General Elections Commissions (KPUDs) nationwide asking for the government's implementation of the court's ruling. "It shows how serious is the matter," Jimly said.
He asked the public to remain patient in waiting for the government's regulation on the independent candidates' nomination mechanism, while praising the President and the House, which have immediately responded to the court's ruling.