Jakarta – The Golkar Party has drawn criticism for proposing only political groups winning at least 30 percent of national votes in the 2009 legislative election should be allowed to nominate presidential candidates.
Political scientists said Saturday the proposed mechanism would hamper the emergence of new potential figures in Indonesian politics. "This is a kind of political hegemony by major parties," said Muhammad Qodari, executive director of pollster Indobarometer.
He said the 30 percent requirement was too high for most parties to meet. Qodari suggested the House of Representatives adopt the 15 percent minimum requirement as stipulated in the current presidential election law. The 15 percent requirement would provide the public with about five presidential candidates and would thus offer them more alternatives, he said.
Golkar wanted its proposed 30 percent requirement included in a new bill on presidential elections set for deliberation at the House starting Monday.
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of the House's Golkar faction said his party proposed the tighter requirement because it wanted to build a more permanent coalition in the House.
"It's difficult for any political party to meet this 30 percent requirement. Therefore, it would force them to build a more permanent coalition in the future government," he said.
Ferry said the requirement would also create a stronger government. "This new mechanism will convey that the established government is based on sharing support and there is no political party that can claim that it owns the government."
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which is part of Golkar's coalition in the House, rejected the proposal. Democratic Party leader Anas Urbaningurum said his party wanted the requirement lowered to only 15 percent of the total votes as stipulated by the prevailing law.
"We think 15 percent is a moderate requirement. This is not too easy and not too difficult," he said as quoted by Antara.
Criticism also came from Saiful Mujani, executive director of another political pollster Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI). He said Golkar's idea on one hand would simplify the presidential election, but on the other would curb the opportunity for candidates with support of minor parties to contest the presidential election.
"These candidates will no longer have political vehicles," he said. Saiful said if this formula were adopted, there would be only three candidates to vie for president in 2009 and that they would likely be current prominent figures. "The public would no longer have hopes of fresh faces," he added.
Saiful dismissed Golkar's claim that the 30 percent minimum requirement would promote a permanent coalition of political parties. "Coalitions are never based on political platforms, but on short-term interests only," he said, adding there was no need to regulate the establishment of a political coalition.
Qodari similarly said there was no guarantee political parties would maintain their coalition after a new president was elected. He cited Jakarta's current legislative council as an example.
"Major factions formed a coalition to endorse Fauzi Bowo as governor, but after he was elected the council was still not able to reach an agreement on the provincial budget," Qodari said.
Both Saiful and Qodari suggested the House maintain the nomination mechanism in the current legislation on presidential elections, instead of creating a new one.
The House's special team is scheduled to begin deliberating the new presidential election bill Monday. The initial meeting is expected to discuss the schedules and steps for deliberation. (alf)