Lilian Budianto and Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is still split over simultaneous legislative and presidential elections, one of the main issues in ongoing deliberations over the presidential election bill.
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of the Golkar Party, the biggest faction at the House, said Sunday the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections would be made possible only in 2014 at the earliest.
"If the elections were held simultaneously in 2009, would it mean only parties who won House seats in the 2004 election were able to nominate presidential candidates?" Ferry questioned. "Parties contesting for legislative seats in 2009 will certainly not accept this," he said.
The 2004 presidential elections were held three months after the legislative elections to elect House, regional legislative council and Regional Representatives Council members. In the first direct presidential election, candidates were nominated by parties that secured at least 5 percent of the vote in the legislative election.
Golkar has proposed the threshold be raised to 30 percent, while the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle demanded it increase to between 15 and 20 percent. Among supporters of the joint elections are Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who chairs Golkar.
The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction has insisted Indonesia hold simultaneous elections in 2009 in order to simplify the electoral system and save money.
PKB member Ali Masykur Musa told the House special committee, deliberating the presidential election bill last week, that the simultaneous election would also allow voters to know the presidential candidates as early as possible.
The General Elections Commission is conducting an online survey of simultaneous legislative and presidential elections.
PKB faction chairman Hermawi Taslim criticized the survey for unfairness because it asks a leading question. Respondents are asked for their opinion on separate elections, rather than simultaneous elections.
The second biggest faction, PDI-P, and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have joined in support for the PKB. Ferry said administering joint legislative and presidential elections next year would be unfeasible, now that the House is still debating the electoral threshold for the presidential election.
"If the simultaneous elections are accepted for next year, we must agree that only parties that won a minimum of 15 percent of the vote in 2004 legislative election are eligible to nominate candidates."
Ferry added that the PKB proposal would be met with opposition from parties that did not qualify and newcomers in the 2009 election.
The United Development Party (PPP) and Democrat Party have also rejected simultaneous elections, citing unreadiness of both voters and the General Elections Commission (KPU).
"Simultaneous elections will only confuse voters because they will mix up presidential and legislative election campaigns," PPP faction chairman Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said.