Jakarta, Aug 18 (ANTARA) - The idea of Democrat Party (PD)'s lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul to propose an amendment to the 1945 Constitution so that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would be able to run for a third term in 2014 is a setback in democracy and would betray the country's reforms agenda, legislators say.
"This discourse is a setback in democracy. So, it does not need to be given serious response because it would be counterproductive and a waste time and energy," National Mandate Party (PAN) politician Teguh Juwarno, said.
Ruhut Sitompul, a member of the Democrat Party (PD) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR), has earlier stated that he would propose an amendment to the 1945 Constitution to extend the tenure of the president to three terms considering that at present there was no figure who could match President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a national leader.
Teguh Juwarno, who is also chairman of House Commission II on home affairs, said that the idea was a setback in the history of Indonesia's democracy where the people had paid dearly in fighting for a reform of the democracy system adopted during former president Soeharto who did not restrict presidential terms.
According to Nurul Arifin of the Golkar Party faction in the House of Representatives (DPR), extending the tenure of the president by the third term would constitute a betrayal to the reforms and would be detrimental to state constitution.
"The 1945 Constitution has been amended to accommodate the public call for a change in (old) democracy system to prevent authoritarianism," Nurul Arifin said here on Wednesday.
She said that it would be very illogical if the discourse raised by Ruhut would get positive response. "We should not disturb what has been agreed upon by the Indonesian people," she said.
Secretary of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction Ganjar Pranowo said that Ruhut had made the statement like a person who had just waken up from a nap.
He said that the constitution has been amended where the tenure of the president had been restricted to two terms only. The amendment was made based on a background where former president Soeharto continued to serve his terms without restrictions.
"It seems that Ruhut was provoked to revive the Soeharto style of government," Ganjar said.
Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso of the Golkar Party said that Ruhut had raised an extremely courageous idea. He said that amending the constitution for the sake of adding the presidential terms to more than two periods would only cause prolonged polemics and waste of time and energy.
In the meantime, Constitutional expert Jimly As?shiddiqie said that the discourse raised by Ruhut who is a legislator of the ruling Democrat Party would not benefit President Yudhoyono.
"I don't think the idea will be accepted by the public and it will not benefit Yudhoyono," he said.
Moreover, if the constitution is amended in the current presidential term, it could not be applied to the current president. "Should the amendment be carried out it can only be applied to the next president, not the incumbent president," Jimly.
He said that the discourse would not benefit President Yudhoyono in the eyes of the public at home and the international community. Thus, what Indonesia needs at present is a stable constitutional system.
"So, we should not change the constitution so often unless we have an intention to improve it. But I don't think this discourse is being raised to improve it. It even will change the constitution's very essence," he said.
Jimly is convinced Yudhoyono is by no means intending to do it. The ruling Democrat Party leadership itself has given the assurance that President Yudhoyono would not make a third bid for the presidency in 2014.
Anas Urbaningrum, the Democrat Party's chairman, said President Yudhoyono was only willing to serve as president twice or until 2014. "His stance on this matter is very clear and firm. There is not the slightest doubt about it. Twice is enough as mandated by the constitution. Yudhoyono wishes to complete his present or second term with a good record," he said.
Thus, Ruhut?s idea is a personal idea and it has never been discussed within the Democrat Party. PD's Advisory Council Marzuki Alie Marzuki Alie said that the matter had never been discussed within the Democrats Party.
"It is Ruhut's personal idea and does not constitute a decision of the Democrat Party or the Democrat Party faction in the DPR, Mazuki who is also the House Speaker said.
He said that as far as he knew President Yudhoyono had openly made public that it was enough for him to serve as president for two terms.
"Therefore, there is no need for us to discuss the amendment issue because the president has no intention to extend the tenure of his presidency to more than two terms," he said. (T.A014/a/H-NG/a014) 19-08-2010 00:17: |
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