Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The Indonesian electoral system should be changed in such a way that qualified candidates, including women, are more likely to end up in the legislature – instead of only the rich and famous, a women's activist said on Wednesday.
To achieve this, Fernita Darwis, from the Movement for the Empowerment of the Women's Voice (GPSP), proposed the application of a "mixed proportional system" that would include a "direct list" and an "indirect list."
Under the proposed system, half of the total legislative seats, or around 280 seats, would be open for individual contests: the direct list. For the other half of the seats, people would vote not for individual lawmakers but for a political party: the indirect list.
It would be up to the respective parties to fill the number of seats awarded by voters with highly qualified candidates, of which at least 30 percent should be female, Fernita said.
The activist put forward the idea at a meeting with the House of Representatives' Legislative Body, which is working on an amendment to the election bill.
Fernita explained that the 2009 electoral system was entirely proportional, with only a direct list: those candidates receiving the highest number of votes became legislators.
That system, she said, made it possible for the House to now be filled with people whose popularity depended solely on television appearances. However, such popularity does not make someone a good politician, she added.
According to Fernita, the only ones able to compete with celebrities were those rich enough to afford elaborate advertising campaigns for their candidacy. "This basically closes the door for political experts, NGO activists and women," she said.
Fernita's proposal would entail a ballot paper consisting of two rows of images: one row with pictures of "qualified" candidates [academics and experts in particular fields] and another with political parties' symbols.
"This system would guarantee legislative seats for qualified candidates, including women. And for the already popular candidates, just let them compete in the direct list section," she said.
However, Hakam Naja, a lawmaker from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the proposal would be a step backward for the national electoral system.
"We already have a direct system, which allows only candidates with the highest number of votes to be successful," he said. "That would be impossible [with the indirect system]."
Lawmaker Ida Fauziah, chairwoman of the task force drafting the amendment, said committee members had agreed that there should be no major changes in the current electoral system.
She also said the committee intended to retain the system that was used in the last elections. "We have agreed to stick to the direct system. And I don't think we will change our minds," Ida said.
She added that the major change suggested by GPSP, and also by election observers earlier, would only cause confusion among the public and most of the political stakeholders.
Ida also said the committee was still working out some controversial articles of the draft bill, including the complex issues of doubling the legislative threshold and vote-counting methods.
From 1999 until 2009, the electoral system has already seen drastic changes, she said. "So we now want to make only minor modifications to the system. I think we should try a system for at least two elections," she said.