Jakarta – Gerindra Party deputy chief Fadli Zon says the country's founding philosophy, Pancasila, legitimizes indirect elections. He added if people did not agree, then they should change Pancasila first.

He then cited the fourth principle of Pancasila: "Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations among representatives," as blatant proof of the need for indirect elections.

"It is clear that the kind of democracy we practice here in Indonesia is representative democracy. Thus for those who still want to maintain direct elections, please change Pancasila first," he said as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political expert Sri Nuriyanti said associating indirect elections with Pancasila was misleading and incorrect.

"The context of the fourth principle of Pancasila is the way we mull our policies rather than the procedure of organizing elections," she said as quoted by tribunnews.com recently.

She said the current direct elections had adopted the value of "one man, one vote", which was the essence of democracy where individuals had the same chance to determine the fate of their regions.

The Red-and-White Coalition, comprising Gerindra, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Golkar Party, has changed its position, from supporting direct elections to defending the idea of electing regional leaders via regional legislative councils (DPRDs).

The shift is suspected to be an attempt to disturb the incoming administration led by Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Jusuf Kalla. (alz/dic)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/13/indirect-elections-based-pancasila-says-gerindra.html