Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The Red-and-White Coalition (KMP), the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives, is coming together to support direct elections as the Gerindra Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have expressed a commitment to supporting the mechanism that would allow public election of regional leaders.
Committing to a pact made with the Democratic Party, the political parties have said they would support the confirmation of two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) on regional elections (Pilkada) that would reinstate the mechanism to directly elect regional heads.
While initially announcing a plan to reject the Perppu, Aburizal Bakrie, chairman of the faction of the Golkar Party, the leader of the opposition bloc, said that his group had changed direction to support the Perppu.
"Because of public demand and [a pact with the Democratic Party], Golkar will support the Perppu," said Aburizal through his Twitter account, @Aburizalbakrie.
PAN deputy secretary-general Teguh Juwarno confirmed that the move to support the Perppu has raised dissenting opinions within the party, as well as in the Red-and-White Coalition, but he expressed confidence that PAN would eventually secure full backing.
"We are optimistic that we can settle [the differences]. Even the KIH [the pro government's Great Indonesia Coalition] and the KMP could be united," Teguh told the press on the sidelines of a discussion in the House on Tuesday.
The Perppu, which was proposed by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party near the end of his term in October, is aimed at annulling the endorsement of a 2014 law that returned the election of regional leaders to the indirect mechanism of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).
The Perppu is currently awaiting deliberation by the House before it can become fully effective.
Yudhoyono, who is also the Democratic Party's chairman, met President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday and revealed that his party would support the Perppu in the House. The House's Democratic Party faction instructed its lawmakers to walk out during a plenary meeting to vote on the controversial law in September, which allowed for the passage of the law.
In a move seen as an attempt to save the Democratic Party's sinking image following the lawmakers' manuevers, Yudhoyono issued the Perppu and signed an agreement with the Red-and-White Coalition, which won the majority of House seats, for support in exchange for the former's participation in securing the leadership rosters in the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as proposed by the KMP.
The Democratic Party's presence in the KMP's House and MPR leadership scheme has allowed the opposition coalition to maintain full control over the legislature.
Yudhoyono's party, however, steadfastly declined to be included as a member of the KMP, claiming a role as the "balancing power" between the two rival coalitions.
On Tuesday, Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon reiterated the Red-and-White Coalition's commitment to Yudhoyono. "So far, all of us [in the Red-and-White Coalition] are still committed to the agreement. We have not even voted. So, no one is betraying anything here," Fadli said.
Fadli went on to say that Gerindra's chief patron, Prabowo Subianto, has been in constant discussions with leaders of other political parties within the Red-and-White Coalition, including Golkar's Aburizal, to make sure the coalition was united to support the Perppu.
The contradictory stances toward the Perppu were not the first rift that occurred in the Red-and-White Coalition.
Earlier, the coalition saw one member, the United Development Party (PPP), split into two factions, with one half, led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy, pledging commitment to the government.
The commitment was strengthened when PPP member Lukman Hakim Saiffuddin was appointed to be religious affairs minister in Jokowi's Cabinet.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/more-opposition-parties-support-direct-elections.html