Jakarta, Dec 13 (Antara) - Political 'battles' marked all of 2014 in
Indonesian politics, which began with campaigns for a legislative
election on April 9, as well as a presidential race on July 9.
The elections divided the Indonesian people into two opposing camps.
After the legislative elections, two political alliances were formed,
one supported the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla presidential pair nominated by
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) while the other
backed the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa presidential ticket nominated
by the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).
While the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla camp won the presidential race, the
Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa alliance controlled at least 292 of the
560 Parliamentary seats.
Then, the political 'battles' waged to win popular support shifted to the Parliament.
Legislators of political parties, joining a coalition with PDIP, formed
the Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH) in the House of Representatives
(DPR), while lawmakers of political parties in alliance with Gerindra
set up the White-Red Coalition (KMP).
The next battle is to be victorious in selecting regional heads, such
as governors, district heads and mayors in local politics. This was
obvious when the two camps in Parliament fought each other on a draft
law on indirect regional head elections (Pilkada).
The draft law (UU Pilkada) states that regional heads will be elected
by the Regional Legislative Assembly (DPR), not in direct elections by
the people.
The KIH camp rejected the Pilkada Draft Law, while the KMP supported
it. As the KMP controls the Parliament with 292 seats, it easily won
the battle when voting, and the DPR endorsed the law.
Of course, this will benefit the KMP, since it controls the number of
seats in the regional legislative assemblies (DPRD) at the provincial
level. Of the 2,114 seats in the DPRD throughout the country, the KMP
controls at least 1,287 seats. Of the 34 provinces, the KIH controls
the DPRD seats only in West Kalimantan and Bali provinces.
However, after the law (UU Pilkada) was objected to by some members of
the public, particularly from the KIH camp, outgoing President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono issued a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law
No.1/2014 (Perppu No. 1/2014) on Direct Regional Head Election.
The Perppu was issued to annul the law regional elections (UU Pilkada),
which gives regional legislative assemblies the authority to elect
regional leaders, instead of continuing with the earlier practice of
direct elections by the people.
Meanwhile, the Perppu still has to receive approval from the DPR before
it is implemented. So, the decision whether regional head elections
will be held by the DPRD or directly by the people will depend upon
whether the Perppu is approved by the DPR.
The party sees that the Perppu will not be enacted this year. Thus, the
year 2014 will leave incomplete political battles, as the Perppu will
be deliberated by the DPR in January 2015.
Is possible for the DPR --which passed the UU Pilkada Law to accept the
Perppu though this will depend on the change in the dynamism within the
political parties grouped in the KMP.
With its 207 legislators, plus 61 others from Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's Democratic Party faction, the PDIP faction in the House will
need 13 additional votes to reach 50 percent plus one to win the
Perppu.
After all, there are indications of changes in the attitude of House factions of political parties allied in the KMP.
The
United Development Party (PPP) and the Golkar Party --two supporters
of the KMP that, respectively, have leaderships that are split over
internal rifts-- have hinted that they might accept the Perppu.
The
PPP, Golkar, National Mandate Party (PAN), Prosperous Justice Party
(PKS) and Gerindra (292 seats) are supporters of the KMP, while the
PDIP, National Awakening Party (PKB), National Democrat Party (NasDem)
and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) back the KIH with 207 seats.
The Democrat Party (PD) under Yudhoyono positions itself as a balancing
party and has 61 seats. But the PD clearly lends support to the Perppu.
As
the political dynamism is changing, there are now indications that PPP,
Golkar and PAN tend to accept the Perppu, while PKS has yet to
determine its stand, waiting for the results of discussions among KMP
supporters.
The
fate of the Perppu will be discussed next month. The DPR will begin
reviewing it in its sessions beginning next January, said Fadli Zon, a
DPR deputy chairman of the Gerindra.
Zon
added that because the DPR had yet to deliberate on the Perppu, no
legislators from the Red-White Coalition (KMP) have yet voiced their
rejection or acceptance of it.
"We
cannot say whether factions of the KMP accept the Perppu, as none of
them have expressed their rejection of it yet," he noted.
On
Wednesday, Golkar Chairman Aburizal Bakri (ABR) said his party would
support the Perppu, saying that the people want it. "The people want
direct regional head elections and we have to meet the people's
aspiration, because Golkar's voice is the voice of the people," ARB said
in a national working meeting of PPP in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Concerning the Golkar Party's statement during its congress in Bali
when it rejected the regulation, Fadli Zon affirmed that it was only a
recommendation, and not the official decision of the party.
Yet, General Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP)
Romahurmuzy, who was elected in the Surabaya version of the PPP
congress, is suspicious of Aburizal Bakrie's move to support the Perppu.
"It certainly cannot be separated from the motive of seeking
legitimization of the result of the (Golkar Party's) congress held in
Bali recently," he said on Wednesday.
ARB was re-elected as Golkar Party's general chairman for the
2014-2019 period during a congress held in Bali early this month,
despite opposition from a number of party figures who later held a rival
congress in Jakarta and elected Agung Laksono as the new party leader.
The two camps within Golkar are seeking recognition from the government of President Joko Widodo.
In the meantime, Djan Faridz, the United Development Party (PPP)
General Chairman --who was elected in the Jakarta version of the PPP
congress-- also expressed support of the Perppu on direct local
elections.
"The PPP can understand this government regulation because it
politically reflects an effort to uphold the people's sovereignty," he
told journalists on Friday, in response to the party's political stance
regarding this matter.
The same support was also raised by Deputy Chairman of PAN Dradjad H
Wibowo. He stressed that PAN tended to support the Perppu. "There are
still two views within PAN regarding the Perppu. But it seems that PAN
tends to supporting the Perppu," said Dradjad, in a short text message
to Antara on Sunday.
He further said PAN will make public its official stance after the party makes its decision.
In the meantime, the PKS has not yet taken any decision with regard to
the Perppu."The PKS faction in the House still needs to study and
coordinate it jointly with the Red-White Coalition (KMP) members," PKS
Executive Chairman Al Muzzammil Yusuf said on Wednesday.
If the PAN, PPP-Djan Faridz version or PPP-Romahurmuziy version and
Golkar under ARB accepted the Perppu, there is a strong possibility that
regional head elections will be held directly, instead of by the
legislative assemblies (DPRD).
A constitutional law professor from Nusa Cendana University in Kupang,
East Nusa Tenggara, Johanes Tuba Helan has earlier said that the
Red-White Coalition (KMP) will support the Golkar Party in rejecting the
Perppu.
"From
the beginning, I had the conviction that the Perppu will be rejected,
and today, my conviction was strengthened following the decision of the
congress of the Golkar Party, which is the main supporter of KMP, to
reject it," he affirmed on Friday last week, following the conclusion of
the Golkar Party's congress in Bali on Thursday.
However, Johanes Tuba Helan made the remarks before Abrurizal Bakri
changed his stance, in saying Golkar will support the Perppu.
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(T.A014/INE/B003)
(T.A014/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 13-12-2014 13:23:3 |
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