CONTESTANTS URGED NOT TO INVOLVE CHILDREN IN POLITICS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 18 (Antara) - Child protection campaigners have expressed concerns about the alleged abuse of children who were taken to campaign grounds by political parties in the current legislative elections campaigns.          "Data at the Child Abuse Supervision Desk show almost all political parties allowed children to take part in their campaign activities," Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection (KPAI) Commission, Asrorun Niam Sholeh, said on Tuesday.          Over the past three days, the Indonesian political parties have been conducting their 21-day campaign to contest in the upcoming April 9 legislative elections. However, they apparently involved children, even though by regulations electoral contestants are not allowed to involve children in their campaigns.          Therefore, the KPAI urged political parties to follow the regulations and not abuse children in their campaign activities. "KPAI will report the results of its monitoring to the Election Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu) on Wednesday," Niam Sholeh said.          Niam noted that even though it was not allowed, political parties still let parents bring their children to the campaign sites.

IF IT WINS, PDIP WILL NEED SUPPORT OF OTHER PARTIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 17 (Antara) - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) will need the support of other political parties if it wins next July 9 presidential race.          Therefore, it should not be over confident after naming the popular Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as its presidential candidate. Even if it wins, Joko Widodo will need the support of others to maintain balance in the parliament.          "If PDIP wins the presidential race and Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, becomes president, it will still need others' support. In a multiparty presidential system like in Indonesia, the possibility of a political party becoming the single majority in the parliament is very small," political analyst of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Firman Noor, said over the weekend.          The PDIP should be clever in picking up a vice presidential candidate pair for Jokowi to avoid the repetition of its experience in the 1999 general elections.          In 1999 the PDIP won the general elections but it failed to win the presidential race because it did not have the majority support in the parliament.

POLITICAL PARTIES KICK OFF NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGNS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 16 (Antara) - A total of 12 political parties at the national level kicked off a 21-day nationwide campaigns on Sunday to win the votes of 185.8 million voters in the April 9, 2014 legislative elections.          On Saturday, leaders of the 12 political parties fielding candidates in the 2014 legislative elections declared their commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of the campaigns, to be carried out March 16 to April 5, 2014.          The declaration was read before the secretary general and seven commissioners of the General Elections Commission (KPU,) as well as hundreds of members of the political parties, at National Monument Square (Monas).          During the campaign and election activities, the Jakarta Police will deploy about 18,000 personnel to secure all activities.          "The Jakarta Police will field some 18,000 personnel to secure the legislative elections. They will be stationed at all polling booths," Jakarta Police Spokesman Senior Commissioner Rikwanto said on Sunday.

JOKOWI EXPECTED TO WIN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 14 (Antara) - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) will benefit from its decision to name Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as its presidential candidate in the July 9, 2014, presidential race.          "It is a choice of political realities," political observer Said Salahudin noted, following a statement made by Joko Widodo that he had been given the mandate by the PDIP Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri to become the party's presidential hopeful in the next presidential elections.         According to Salahudin, the decision to nominate Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, as the PDIP presidential candidate was made not merely because of Jokowi's popularity and his chance to win public support, but also due to the awareness of the party leaders and other factors.          "It is not merely a matter of Jokowi's chances, but also of other factors," the political observer said, adding that the factors included the fact that Jokowi is a public favorite, both in terms of popularity and electability.          Political analyst Ari Junaedi of the University of Indonesia believed that the PDIP will win 27.02 percent, or about 152 seats in the parliament, with the nomination of Jokowi as its presidential candidate.

MK VERDICT ON ELECTIONS CAN CAUSE LEGITIMACY PROBLEM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 25 (Antara) - The Constitutional Court (MK) ruled recently that legislative and presidential elections should be held concurrently in 2019 because certain articles in the election law are in violation of the Constitution.          However, the MK ruling could cause a legitimacy problem for the legislative election and presidential elections on April 9 and July 9 this year, because they are still based on the articles said to be in violation of the Constitution.         Therefore, constitutional expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra has questioned the MK's verdict.         "I am questioning whether the MK judges really understand the Constitution," Yusril asked, in a text message to Antara over the weekend.         He said that the MK's decision to rule on simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in 2019 was a blunder.         The Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a judicial review, requesting that the legislative election and presidential election be held concurrently.          Led by political scientist Effendi Ghazali, the Civil Society Coalition for Elections filed the request to challenge Law No. 42 of 2008, which stipulated that the two elections are held at least three months apart.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS IN 2019

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 23 (Antara) - The Constitutional Court (MK) finally decided on Thursday to rule in favor of a judicial review request filed by the Civil Society Coalition for Election which asked for a simultaneous legislative and presidential election.         Led by political analyst Effendi Gazali, the coalition lodged a judicial review of Law No. 42/2008 on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections which among others regulated that the legislative elections and presidential elections are held at least three months apart.            The MK ruled that simultaneous elections will be held beginning in 2019.          The government, based on Law No. 4/2008, has planned to organize a legislative election on April 9 and a presidential and vice presidential election on July 9, 2014.          "Simultaneous elections will be held in 2019," MK Chairman Hamdan Zoelva said when reading the court's verdict on Thursday, thus ruling in favor of the petitioners.

BROADCASTING FIRMS WARNED ABOUT COVERT ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 6 (Antara) - Four months before the start of Indonesia's general elections in 2014, covert campaigns to promote the election candidates have appeared in broadcasting media and billboards, which have forced the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) to reprimand TV news stations.          At least six TV stations are believed to have broadcast programs containing subtle campaign messages by legislative candidates or political parties that plan to contest the general elections on April 9, 2014.          The KPI has reprimanded the TV stations for their disproportionate coverage of political news, talk-shows and advertisements.          "The six broadcasting stations reprimanded by the commission are RCTI, MNC TV, Global TV, ANTV, TV One and Metro TV," KPI chairman Judhariksawan told the media here on Thursday.          Judhariksawan said the KPI had reprimanded the six television stations and urged them to change their broadcasting coverage, since campaigning for the upcoming general elections could not be carried out before March 16, 2014.          "We are of the view that several broadcasters have given disproportionate coverage to political news, including advertisements containing political messages, which, according to the KPI, contain elements of campaigning," the KPI chairman noted.          Bawaslu has also reprimanded three national TV stations -- the MNC Group, Metro TV and TV One  -- because they are believed to have engaged in covert political campaigns through their programs.          "We find that there are potential violations of election campaign rules. We remind the MNC Group, Metro TV and TV One that they should not broadcast programs that could violate the rules," Bawaslu chairman Muhammad had said earlier.

KPU URGED TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Nov 7 (Antara) - The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced 186.6 million voters are eligible for next year's general elections, though some 10.4 million of them are still considered problematic.          On the KPU's eligible voters' list (DPT), some 10.4 million voters remain problematic because data which they need to become eligible for voting in the elections is still not complete, such as their citizenship identity numbers (NIK).          The KPU has decided to use the Home Affairs Ministry's List of Potential Voters (DP4) as the basis for deciding the DPT for next year's elections. It officially announced the DPT on Monday, even though some 10.4 million still have problems with the required data, such as the NIK.          Based on Law No. 8/2012, voters must have a NIK to be eligible for the 2014 general elections.          A researcher of the General Elections and Democracy Association (Perludem), a poll watchdog, said the General Election Commission should be transparent about the problem of 10.4 million voters included on the eligible voters' list.          "The KPU must be open and explain the 10.4 problematic voters. How many of them have no citizenship identity numbers (NIK), how many have double registrations and many other problems," Veri Junaidi of the Perludem said.

PEOPLE WANT TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 9 (ANTARA) - Ahead of the legislative and presidential elections next year, the Indonesian people are pinning their hopes on the General Elections Commission (KPU) for organization of transparent elections.          Transparency is key to the success of elections. In previous elections, many problems and electoral disputes surfaced due to suspicions of fraud and data manipulation.          "I am confident that all problems surrounding the general elections can be properly resolved if the KPU organizes the elections more openly," General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) spokesperson Daniel Zuchron said.          Daniel pointed out that the KPU plays an administrative role during the elections. "It has laid out all the rules with regard to the administration process and the code of ethics. Therefore, everything should be reported to the KPU, and we will check in the field whether anything requires our confirmation," he stated.

TOWARDS SIMULTANEOUS LOCAL AND NATIONAL ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 28 (ANTARA) - Indonesia may have two simultaneous elections in 2019 - one at the national level for the election of legislators and the president, while the other would be at the local level for the election of regional government heads.          Many legislators, ministers and even the President are in favour of having simultaneous elections in 2019 in light of the fact that the new method would save time, reduce costs and spare voters the trouble of going to the polls too often.          Most agree that national and local elections should be held simultaneously in 2019, but there is also suggestion that the national legislative and presidential elections should be held simultaneously in 2014.          Since Indonesia has direct presidential elections, the legislative and presidential elections have been organized sequentially. These two elections are held separately from the regional elections, which follow a different schedule.          The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) has already drafted a plan on conducting simultaneous elections.          "Based on the plan, the simultaneous elections should only be held twice in five years. One will be a national election for president to be held simultaneously with the election of members of DPR, members of Local Legislative Assembly (DPRD), and members of Regional Representative Council (DPD). The other will be a simultaneous election for regional heads (Pilkada). And the members of each institution will have a five year term of office," PDIP member Arif explained.          He stated that simultaneous national and local elections could not be conducted before 2019 "because a lot of preparation is needed, including revision of Law No. 42/2008 on the presidential election".          "Currently, the House of Representatives (DPR) is taking the initiative to amend the law. We are providing inputs on how to develop an effective and stable government," Arif said during a meeting on simultaneous elections, held here on Friday.          The national and local elections can be held simultaneously in 2019 only if the law on presidential election can be revised by the end of this year.          Arif said there would be a lot of debate before a framework to conduct simultaneous local and national elections could be finalized.          "However, it is possible to organize simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in 2014. We still have 18 months to prepare for such an election," he pointed out.          "Simultaneous local and national elections cannot be held before 2019 because time is needed to carry out a transition in the regional government leadership and to do other adjustments," Arif added.          Meanwhile, his colleague Ganjar Pranowo, the deputy chairman of the House of Representatives' Commission II on home affairs, said it would be difficult to conduct simultaneous presidential and legislative elections in 2014.          "The possibility of having a presidential election and legislative elections simultaneously this time is very small. Only the PDIP was open to the idea; other factions in the House did not respond to it," he noted.          Ganjar explained that simultaneous elections cannot be possibly carried out in 2014 because the House and the government did not have the time to amend the presidential election law.          However, he acknowledged that simultaneous presidential and legislative elections would save time and money and also help organisers manage the elections more efficiently.          Therefore, Ganjar added, a simultaneous presidential and legislative election "could lead to more structured and systematic elections".          Home affairs minister Gamawan Fauzi said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was in favour of simultaneous regional elections.          "I have reported to him about it. He agreed and asked me to regulate it. Actually, the President is all for the idea if it improves efficiency," he said at the presidential palace last month.          He stated that combining the elections of provincial governors, district heads and mayors would not only save time and money but also "improve the quality of the elections".          "Every two days we hear about elections of district heads here and there. It seems the country has elections all the time," Gamawan pointed out.          However, the minister said his office was still examining the feasibility of simultaneous elections system and would discuss the draft law on elections at the parliament.          Meanwhile, General Elections Commission (KPU) member Hadar Nafis Gumay stated that simultaneous national and local elections would help organizers better manage the elections.          "The organizers can manage the elections more efficiently and effectively if they are held at the same time," he said during a meeting on simultaneous elections, held here on Friday.          "The KPU could focus their attention on providing comprehensive guidance and directives and thereby organize the elections in a better way if they are held at the same time," Hadar added.          He said the KPU was of the view that a legal framework should first be developed in order to pave the way for simultaneous elections.          As the organizer, the KPU will just follow the law, Hadar explained.          "There are two models of simultaneous elections that may be implemented - the first being simultaneous legislative and presidential elections and the second being simultaneous local government head elections," Hadar went on.          "Thus, in five years, there will be only two elections, namely the national elections and the local government elections," he pointed out.***1***   (T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A/A014) 28-09-2012 21:41:

COURT VERDICT ON ELECTION DISPUTE GOOD FOR NATION

By Andi Abdussalam


        Jakarta, Aug 12 (ANTARA) - The Constitutional Court (MK) decision on Wednesday over an election dispute is the best for the nation because it has considered all aspects, while Megawati and Jusuf Kalla who filed lawsuits are expected to accept it wholeheartedly so that the General Elections Commission (KPK) could focus on its next tasks, observers say.

        "Should the MK accept the lawsuits and decide to call for an election rerun, it would create uncertainties and seriously affect the economy as well as business players, investors in particular," political observer Sanggam Hutapea said after attending the MK hearing on Wednesday.

        The Constitutional Court on Wednesday rejected the lawsuits on a election dispute filed by two presidential candidates, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jusuf Kala.

        It said that the various problems found in the recent presidential election were not structural, systematic and massive and therefore the election was valid.

        "(The violations) did not make the election legally flawed or invalid," chief judge Moh Mahfud MD said when reading out the court's decision regarding the dispute over the results of the presidential election on July 8.

        The Megawati-Prabowo and Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto tickets have filed complaints to the court regarding the results of the election that gave incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the most votes.

        According to the court's judges, the problems found in the election process which were qualitative in nature included the problem of fixed voter list, regrouping of polling stations and the spread of illegal C-1 forms of vote recapitulation.

        The KPU at a plenary session on July 25 announced that the Susilo Bambang Yudhyoyono (SBY)-Boediono pair had won 73,874,562 or 60.80 percent, the Megawati Soekarnoputri-Prabowo Subianto duo collected 32,548,105 or 26.79 percent, and the Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto ticket 15,081,814 or 12.41 percent of the votes.

        Following the announcement, Megawati and Kalla reported numerous irregularities that allegedly happened in the July 8 poll to the Constitutional Court (MK) in what appeared to be a move to challenge the legitimacy of the election's official outcome.

        Political observer Sanggam Hutapea said that the KPU and the government should learn a lot of lessons from the lawsuit filed with the MK because it suggested that the KPU and the government still had to do many things in organizing a general election. The government should give a priority to improving its data and population system in the coming five years.

        "If the population data remains unsettled it would continue to pose a problem to the government both when it holds an election and when it is implementing its other programs such as the distribution of cash assistance for the poor," he said.

        In the meantime, constitutional law observer Yulindri of the University of Andalas (Unand) said that the MK in its decision to reject the lawsuits filed by Megawati and Kalla had considered all aspects.

        "I am sure that the MK has considered all the aspects such as all evidence provided by Megawati and Kalla camps," Yuliandri, who is legislation professor of the Padang-based (West Sumatra) University of Andalas, said.

        He said that basically the MK verdict formally justified the KPU's decision which declared the SBY-Boediono pair as the winner of the July 8, 2009 presidential elections.

        Therefore, according to political observer Teguh Yuwono of the Semarang-based (Central Java) Diponegoro University (Undip), Megawati and Jusuf Kalla should wholeheartedly accept the MK's decision.

        "The Constitutional Court's verdict is binding and final, so that all sides, including the Mega-Prabowo and JK-Win pairs, should accept it," Yuwono said. He said that actually there was nothing new with the MK verdict which indirectly gave the victory to the SBY-Boediono pair because this pair had actually won the July 8 elections.

        The voter turnouts won by the SBY-Boediono presidential and vice presidential aspirants exceeded too far those of the other presidential candidate pairs. Although the votes won by the other two presidential contestants are combined, they still could not defeat those of the SBY-Boediono ticket.

        "Therefore, the Mega-Prabowo and JK-WIN pairs must accept the MK verdict sincerely and use their energy to fill in the development by becoming oppositions to supervise the government in carrying out its programs," he said.

        With the acceptance, the KPU would be able to concentrate on its next tasks.

        The KPU will therefore soon declare presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Boediono as president- and vice president-elect based on the outcome of the July 8, 2009 presidential race.

        KPU member Andi Nurpati said that the KPU would officially issue the declaration following the verdict on Wednesday of the Constitutional Court (MK) which rejected the lawsuit.

        "With the rejection by the MK of the lawsuit by the other two presidential pairs, KPU's next step is to officially declare the president and vice president-elect," she said.

        She said that KPU would of course focus on its next tasks such as preparing the swearing-in and inauguration of newly elected members of the House of Representatives (DPR) as well as the inauguration of the president- and vice president-elect.

        The oath-taking of the new legislators will be conducted on October 1, 2009 and the inauguration of the new president will be held on October 20, 2009.

        Besides preparing the two agendas, the KPU will also begin preparing the implementation of regional head elections to be held in 2010 and 2011.

        "We have established coordination with KPU offices in the provinces to carry out the next agenda," Andi said. ***1*** (T.A014/H-NG/A/H-YH)

       

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/H-YH) 12-08-2009 22:41:11

IMAGE, POPULARITY DECISIVE FACTORS FOR SBY'S VICTORY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 9 (ANTARA) - Most of Indonesian voters made their choice in Wednesday's presidential elections based on the candidates' popularity so that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who has been building his public image, was able, based on quick counts, to win the July 8, 2009 presidential elections.

        "The popularity of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was a decisive factor for his victory in Wednesday's presidential election," Executive Director of the Research Center of the University of Indonesia (UI)'s Faculty for Socio-Political Sciences, Sri Budi Eko Wardani, said.

        The popularity and strong image he has built since the April 2009 legislative election, and as the incumbent president, are the main decisive factors of the voters' preference to choose the SBY-Boediono pair.

        "Yudhoyono's Democratic Party victory in the legislative election in April was also much attributed to his popularity," Wardani said commenting on the results of quick counts by a number of survey institutes on Wednesday's presidential elections.

        The quick counts showed that the SBY who pairs with Boediono led the race with about 60 percent ahead while two other rivals, Megawati Soekarnoputri - Prabowo Subianto (Mega-Pro) and Jusuf Kalla - Wiranto (JK-WIN), were trailing behind.

        Wardani said that actually voters in the current presidential elections did not see anything exceptional with the three presidential and vice presidential candidates. This condition gave an advantage to SBY as the incumbent where people would then look at what he had done so far.

        At the same time voters also viewed that the incumbent actually has made relatively good achievements in carrying out national development. The people considered that the success of the present national development was part of the achievement of the incumbent, namely Yudhoyono. "SBY was seen as a noted figure who played the role so that the people voted for him," Wardani said.

        According to Sri Budi Eko Wardani, popularity and image have done more than what political parties' political machines could do in earning support for their presidential candidates. Wardani said he did not see any significant roles played by political machines that contributed to the victory of SBY.

        The political machines of a number of political parties in coalition with the SBY-Boediono pair did not function. "Yet, SBY campaign teams have played a good role," Wardani said.

        The same thing was also aired by Arie Sudjito of Gajah Mada University's socio-political faculty. He said the political machines of political parties did not effectively play a role in the victory of the SBY-Boediono duo.

        "In the SBY victory the people's preference was more on the figure or popularity of the candidate, not because the political machines of political parties. The political machines were no longer effective to influence the voters," Arie Sudjito,

        He said that the victory also indicated that money politics also had no significant impact on changing the people's preference to vote for.

        "This should serve as a lesson. So far, there is an opinion that money politics could affect the people's preference but now it turns out that money politics did not affect them," he said.

        He said that field observations in a number of regions indicated that money politics was no longer ripe in the 2009 presidential polls. It is not as ripe as that in the 2009 legislative elections.

        "This means that voters already have their own mind-set with regard to their preference in the presidential elections so that they were no longer affected with money politics," he said.

        In the meantime, the victory of the SBY-Boediono ticket in the presidential race also showed that primordial politics in Indonesia is also fading away. The Indonesia Survey Institute (LSI) said in its exit poll release that primordial politics in Indonesia had died out as it was proved with the results of Wednesday's presidential elections.

        "Majority of voters outside Java voted for presidential and vice presidential candidates Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Bodiono although they are Javanese," Burhanuddin Muhtadi, founder and senior researcher of (LSI), said.

        He said that most of the members of the largest Muslim organizations, (NU) and Muhammadiyah, also voted for the SBY_Boediono presidential ticket. The support of the largest Muslim organizations for a certain presidential candidate was not followed by their mass supporters.

        Muhtadi explained that the LSI had conducted exit polls to learn the characteristics of supporters of the three presidential candidate pairs. Their characteristics were surveyed based on their preference to religion, ethnicity, gender, mass organizations and political parties.

        On the gender issue, it turned out that most women voted for SBY. First time-voters also tended to vote for SBY. In the meantime, most voters for the Mega-Pro duo were men. With regard to ethnicity, the SBY-Boediono gained most votes almost evenly in all provinces outside Java, while the JK-WIN gained minimum support from Javanese voters, he said.

        Some 176,367,056 eligible voters in 33 provinces, including 1,133,738 Indonesians in 17 Indonesian embassies overseas were expected to have cast their votes on Wednesday in the country's second direct presidential elections.***1*** (T.A014/A/H- NG/A/O001) (T.A014/A/A014/A/O001) 09-07-2009 17:55:25

SBY IS THE WINNER ACCORDING TO QUICK COUNT

By Andi Abdussalam


        Jakarta, July 8 (ANTARA) - Incumbent President Susilo Bambgang Yudhoyono (SBY) who pairs with Boediono in the 2009 presidential election is almost certain to win Wednesday's presidential poll based on the results of a quick count by a survey institute.

        "The votes counted have reached 87.57 percent, meaning the election returns have stabilized. So, it can be said that the SBY-Boediono pair is the winner," executive director of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) Kuskrido Ambardi said referring to the results of the quick count conducted by LSI hours after vote counting at polling station level began on Wednesday.

        Kuskrido Ambardi said SLI's data entries at 2.17 pm on Wednesday indicated that the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - Boediono (SBY-Boediono) ticket was victorious almost in all provinces in the country except in South Sulawesi, Bali and Gorontalo.

        "Of the 87.57 percent of votes counted by LSI, the SBY-Boediono duo led the race with 60.58 percent while Megawati Soekarnoputri-Prabowo Subianto (Mega-Pro) and Jusuf Kalla - Wiranto (JK-WIN) pairs trailing behind in the second and third positions with 26.30 percent and 13.12 percent of the vote respectively," he said.

        Therefore, he said, he was optimistic the 2009 presidential election would run in just one round.

        He said the SBY-Boediono pair fulfilled the two conditions set by the election law that a presidential pair would win the election in one round if it won a vote of 50 + 1 percent or won 20 percent of the votes in at least 17 provinces. The two conditions are already met by the SBY-Boediono pair.

        "The SBY-Boediono has won in all, except three, of the country's 33 provinces. This means that the pair has won in more than 17 provinces," the SLI executive director said.

        Ambardi said the SBY-Boediono ticket's victory showed that religious and racist issues had little affect on voters' choice. He referred to attacks on Boediono's wife who was accused of being a Catholic.

        "If the votes counted have reached 76 percent, the election returns will already have stabilized. So, it can be said that the SBY-Boediono pair is the winner," Ambardi said.

        In response to the results of the quick count, presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla said he appreciated the quick count results showing the lead of the SBY-Boediono duo.

        "We appreciate the results of the quick count, yet we still need to wait for the ballot count and official announcement of the General Election Commission (KPU)," Jusuf Kalla (JK) said when asked to comment on the results of a quick count.

        Kalla said his side would appreciate whoever won Wednesday's election. "We appreciate the reports. After all, there has been no significant disturbance during the election ," he added.

        He said he was surprised that the quick count had put his ticket with Wiranto in third place. "Frankly, we are surprised, because the reports we received from the regions showed we won greater numbers of votes ," he said.

        Referring to the results of the quick count, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked all parties to patiently wait for the ballot count and official announcement by the General Election Commission (KPU).

        Although the electoral quick count indicated that Yudhoyono and his running mate Boediono were temporarily leading with 60 percent of the votes, the incumbent president said all parties had to be patient because the ballot count was not yet finished.

        "Although the survey institutes have announced the results of the election, the ballot count is still underway so let us wait for the KPU as authoritative institution to officially announce the final result," Yudhoyono said at his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor.

        "Since the ballot count is still underway, let us keep and maintain the peaceful situation in the country. If there is complaint or protest, please convey it through the procedure and mechanism that have been regulated in the law," Yudhoyono said.

        He also expressed sincere gratitude to all parties who had struggled for the success of the election, and to the newsmen who had made all-out efforts to cover all the processes of the election.

        "Many thanks to the newsmen who have covered all activities related to the election, not only for me but for Ibu Megawati Soekarnoputri and Bapa Jusuf Kalla as well," Yudhoyono said.

        "Let us keep and maintain our culture of mutual respect, because to win or to lose we have to admit it because the most important thing for us is that the future of Indonesia over the next five year will be better," he added.

        Some 176,367,056 eligible voters including 1,133,738 Indonesians overseas were expected to have voted for their presidential candidates in the country's second direct presidential election on Wednesday.

        Three presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs are competing in the election, namely former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate retired general Prabowo Subianto, incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono, and incumbent vice president M Jusuf Kalla and retired general Wiranto.

        According to National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso, despite minor disturbances, the presidential election ran peacefully and smoothly in all parts of the country.

        "Although there were minor disturbances, the election in Indonesia in general ran peacefully and smoothly," he said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/19:05/A014)

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 08-07-2009 20:25:27

COURT ALLOWS UNREGISTERED VOTERS TO VOTE USING IDs

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 6 (ANTARA) - The Constitutional Court (MK) ruled on Monday evening that eligible voters who were not registered with the electoral rolls (DPT) were allowed to exercise their voting rights in Wednesday's presidential polls by producing valid ID cards or passports.

        The MK made the decision after two petitioners filed a judicial review with the court on the presidential and vice presidential election law which stipulated that voters who were allowed to cast ballots in the presidential polls were those already registered with the permanent voter's rolls.

        Earlier in the day, presidential candidates Jusuf Kalla and Megawati Soekarnoputri visited the General Elections Commission (KPU) to submit two proposals in an effort to solve problems with the DPT.

        Kalla and Megawati asked the KPU to update its DPTs --allegedly marked up with millions of duplicated names of voters while millions of others were not included in the electoral rolls.

        Besides, the two presidential candidates also urged the KPU to allow those unregistered voters to exercise their constitution rights in the election by using identity cards.

        After an intensive talk, the KPU finally accepted the proposal made by Jusuf Kalla and Megawati Soekarnoputri to correct and update its fixed voters' lists for the presidential poll on Wednesday.

        "We agreed to update the DPTs and re-examine them to strike off duplicated names, the names of voters who have passed away, active military/police personnel and unmarried voters who are under 17 years old," KPU Chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary told a press conference.

        He said the KPU had instructed its offices in the provinces and mayoralties, subdistrict election committees (PPK), polling committees (PPS) and polling organizers' groups (KPPS) to update their DPTs.

        "We have also ordered the KPU rank and file to give soft copies of the updated DPTs to the campaign teams of the presidential candidates and polling witnesses," he said.

        With regard to a request from the two presidential candidates to let unregistered voters cast their votes using their identity cards, Anshary said the KPU could not decide on the matter because it had to follow Law 42/2008 on Presidential Elections and Law No. 22/2007 on the organization of elections.

        "Personally I agree with the use of identity cards but we face the laws which forbid the KPU to issue a regulation against them. So, this case is left to the Constitutional Court to decide," he said.

        In the meantime, the Constitutional Court decided on Monday evening that unregistered voters are allowed to exercise their voting right in next Wednesday's presidential poll by showing their identity cards.

        "We hereby partially accept the judicial review request.." Constitutional Court Chairman Mahfud MD said when reading the court's decision on a request for a judicial review of Law No. 42 / 2008 on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections.

        The judicial review request was submitted by Refly Harun and Maheswara Prabandono and concerned Article 28 and Article 111 point (1) of Law No. 42 / 2008 on Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections.

        Article 28 mentioned that "In order to be able to exercise his or her voting rights, an Indonesian citizen as intended in article 27 must be registered as a voter in the electoral roll."

        In the meantime, Article 111 point (1) reads "voters who have the right to cast their votes at polling stations include: a. voters who are registered in the permanent electoral rolls (DPTs) at the polling stations concerned; and b. voters who are registered in additional voters' rolls."

        The petitioners were of the view that the two articles in the presidential election law were against Article 27 point (1), Article 28 D point (1) and Article 28D point (3) of the 1945 Constitution.

        The Constitutional Court's judges said that Article 28 and Article 111 of the presidential election law were constitutional as long as they were intended to include unregistered citizens with a certain condition. The certain condition is that unregistered citizens in the electoral rolls can exercise their voting right by producing their valid ID cards, or valid passports for Indonesian citizens abroad.

        With the MK decision and the readiness of KPU to update its DPTs to overcome the dispute over alleged problems with the electoral rolls has been laid down. In addition, the presidential polls could be held on Wednesday based on schedule after various calls to postpone it before the problems of DPT are resolved.

        Earlier, a politician of the Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Eva Kusuma Sundari, accused that there were about 49 million people who were not registered in the DPTs. But this was denied by KPU Chairman Anshary asking the PDIP politician to prove it. "Eva Kusuma Sundari has to prove her statement that millions of voters are not yet registered in the DPT," KPU Chairman Abudl Hafiz Anshary.

        According to Vice Presidential Candidate Prabowo Subianto who pairs with Megawti, in a private TV station talk on Monady the DPTs were marked up with about 25 million fictitious voters.***1*** (T.A014/H-NG/A/H-YH)

ELECTION BODY CALLED ON TO BE TRANSPARENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 3 (ANTARA) - In the runup to the presidential polls on Wednesday next week, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had been urged to immediately settle the problems of unregistered voters and voters' card duplications as well as organize the election transparently without taking sides with any of the three presidential candidates.         "Let us save Indonesia by not letting presidential election fraud to happen. One of the crucial things that has to be corrected is the fixed voter's list (DPT) which has the potential of being tampered with," Hasanuddin, former chairman of the Central Board of the Islamic Students Association (PB HMI), said here on Thursday.         He made the remarks in response to an allegation that KPU had been biased and not serious enough in handling the problem of fixed voter's list. It was also accused of being biased in issuing popularization banners where it was suspected to have tried to direct voters to tick one of the presidential candidates.         The General Elections Monitoring Presidium of the Indonesian Nationalist Student Movement (LPPA GMNI) said KPU's familiarization banners instructing the public to tick presidential pair number two clearly indicates the commission is biased in organizing the upcoming election.         LPPA GMNI chairman Ade Reza Hariyadi said the matter was a violation of a free and fair election principle, which should be upheld by the KPU as the organizer of the democracy festivity as mandated by the people through the election law.         "What has been done by the KPU in this case, intentionally or unintentionally, a technical error or a systematic work, obviously could tarnish democracy in the presidential election process," he said.         "The case not only indicates the weaknesses of KPU's professionalism but also confirms allegations that the election body is biased and taking sides with a certain candidate since the legislative elections were held last April," he said.         According to scientist Indira Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the voter's list problems like bugging the recent legislative elections still existed until now because the KPU has not been serious in solving them.         Indria Samego made the comment in view of the fact that there were still people who were not yet included in the fixed voters' lists (DPTs)         Besides the problem of unregistered voters, there was concern that duplication of voters' lists would also happen in the upcoming presidential elections on July 8, 2009, he said.         Samego said the KPU and its officials should have handled the problem since the beginning and included the unregistered voters in the DPTs.         For this reason, LPPA GMNI chairman Ade Reza Hariyadi urged the KPU to openly make clarifications on the matter and apologize to the public. "The KPU should also make use of the remaining time to settle the fixed voter's list (DPT) problem which has existed since the April legislative elections," Ade Reza Hariyadi said.         He said that the duplications and alien voters in the voter's list, or the many unregistered eligible voters must immediately be overcome before the polling day arrived next week.         "It would be more useful for the nation if the KPU clarifies the socialization banner case and offers an apology to the public then busy defending itself that could eventually bring this nation to an unnecessary conflict," he said         The same voice was also aired by Hasanuddin of the PB HMI , calling on the KPU not to be biased or allow the occurrence of fraud in the 2009 presidential election.         Hasanuddin and other members of HMI also called on KPU not to act as if it was a success team of a certain presidential candidate pair. He was referring to the case of KPU's familiarization banners instructing would-be voters to tick the picture or name of a certain presidential candidate pair on their ballots.         "These ways should be done by a success team, not by the KPU," he stressed.         Hasanuddin also commented about the criticism on the various indications of voter markups in a number of places, particularly at the subdistrict level of election organizing committee (PPK) and regional branches of KPU (KPUD).         In this regard, a number of religious leaders called on the KPU to be transparent in organizing the elections and not take sides with one of the presidential pairs.         The appeal of 16 religious leaders led by Muhammadiyah Muslim organization chairman Din Syamsuddin was made in an 'interfaith leaders' call' function held here on Thursday.         Secretary of the Union of Churches Richard Dauleh said that KPU which was carrying out the people's mandate should act transparently and fairly. The same applied to the presidential and vice presidential candidates. They should play a fair game to produce a quality election while voters are also called on to exercise their voting rights properly.         A similar statement and hope were also aired by other interfaith leaders, Monk Sapta Virya of the Indonesian Mahayana Holy Land/Indonesian Buddhist Council (SMTI/Walubi), the secretary of the Indonesian High Confucius Assembly and other interfaith leaders.         The religious leaders hoped that the July 8 2009 presidential race would run peacefully without clashes and other conflicts. In the meantime, chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Amidhan asked KPU to settle the problem of fixed voter's list (DPT) immediately.***1*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 03-07-2009 00:32:31

CAMPAIGNS FOR SINGLE-ROUND ELECTION DANGEROUS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 26 (ANTARA) - Experts have warned the public about the danger of the campaign of a certain presidential success team to finish the upcoming presidential elections in a single round.

        The campaign to finish the presidential race in one round could lead to justification of any means and dishonest practices. After all, the reference they use to launch the campaign is the results of allegedly biased poll surveys. This will fool the public, they say.

        The results of certain poll surveys have so far indicated that incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who pairs with Boediono has always led the polls with an electability rate over 60 percent.

        According to executive Director of Indonesia Survey Institute (LSI) Syaiful Mujani, the SBY-Boediono ticket's electability has remained above those of its rivals. Accoring to a recent survey held on June 15-20, 2009, the SBY-Boediono ticket would collect 67 percent of the vote, the Megawati-Prabowo ticket 16 percent and the Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto ticket 9.0 percent.

        These survey results had led the SBY-Boediono camp to campaign for a one-round election. "The election will not run in two rounds because the SBY-Boediono duo is predicted to gain a land-slide victory or rank far ahead of the two other presidential candidates," SBY-Boediono national campaign team spokesman Ramadhan Pohan said last week.

        Support for the one-round election aim was voiced by People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid. Wahid is a former president of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), one of the political parties in coalition with SBY's Democratic Party.

        Hidayat called on the nation's three presidential candidates to do their best to complete their upcoming race in just one round for the sake of efficiency.

        "At the risk of being seen as emulating the 'arrogance' of the SBY-Boediono camp, I entreat everybody to think in a way benefiting the nation in the long run, namely to complete the presidential election in a single round," Hidayat said last week.

        However, political observer of the University of Indonesia, Mawandi Rauf criticized the campaign against a two-round presidential election, saying it is dangerous because it could lead to the justification of any means and dishonest practices in the run up to the polls.

        "The anti-two-round presidential poll movement is something dangerous because it could lead to the use of unfair ways," he said on Friday.

        He said it was not ethical to promote the idea of holding the election in just one round in the ongoing electoral campaign.

        Rauf said the themes of an electoral campaign should be focused on the candidates' visions and missions that could attract the voters' sympathy or support.

        "An electoral campaign should dwell on issues expected to attract people's support. Campaigning for the idea that the election should be completed in only one round is beyond the limit of political propriety," he said.

        In the meantime, constitutional expert and election observer Irman Putra Sidin said that the idea to hold a single round of election is difficult to realize.

        "The law stipulates a winner should win not only the number of votes but also the spread of the votes, namely at least 20 percent votes won in more than half of the number of provinces," Irman Putra Sidin said on Friday.

        It seems that the idea to launch a single-round election campaign is based on the results of the poll survey. But Irman Putra Sidin has doubt about the survey results, not to mention if the survey institutes are part of the success teams of certain candidates.

        "After all, the results of the survey did not mention the spread of locations from where votes are collected. This will fool the public," he aid.

        Secretary of the Indonesian Public Opinions Research Association (AROPI), Umar S Bakry said the results of a survey nowadays were difficult to be accepted as a reference to conclude that the presidential polls would last only in a single round.

        This was because many results of various surveys had sharp differences, even if they used the same methodology and organized them in the same period.

        He said that there was a survey which placed the Mega-Pro ticket behind on the list but the other survey put it on the first one. "They used the same methodology and organized it in the same period, but results differ" Bakry said.

        If LSI survey shows that SBY-Boediono's electability could collect 69 percent while Mega-Pro 16 percent, the Indonesia Development Monitoring (IDM)'s survey results show otherwise.

        According to the IDM, the electability of the Megawati Soekarnoputri-Prabowo ticket reached 44.3 percent, above that of SBY-Boediono which was recorded at 30.43 percent or Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto that reached only 13.2 percent.

        Therefore, the campaign to finish the polls in a single round is also viewed by the other observer as a political ploy. The idea to finish in only one round to save state funds is not a moral message with noble intentions.

        "This idea is clearly not a moral message but a political and business-oriented move serving the interest of a certain party," Umar S Bakry, executive director of the National Survey Institute (LSN).

        Irman Putra Sidin however said that the movement finish the presidential polls in a single round was actually a noble idea because it would mean that the legitimacy of the winner was big.

        However, he said, it is difficult now to conclude whether the presidential elections on July 8, 2009 would last only in a single round or not. It seemed that chances are fifty-fifty.

        "So, if there are people who say that the presidential elections would last only in a single round, such statement is premature and careless," he said.***1*** (A014/A/HAJM/A/S012) 20:20/...... ) (T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 26-06-2009 20:57:51

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AVOID NEO-LIB LABEL IN FACE OF POLLS

By Andi Abdussalam

         Jakarta, May 21 (ANTARA) - These days the liberalism-based market mechanism has all of a sudden become the most 'dreadful' economic label for some quarters in Indonesia in the run-up to the upcoming July 8, 2009 presidential race.

        Presidential aspirants are trying to convince the public that they are advocates of pro-people economy. This is because economic demagogues and anti-neo-lib demonstrators have 'opened' fire at a vice presidential hopeful whom they believed to be an accessory to neo-liberal economy.

        The naming of Boediono, a true professional and a technocrat, as a vice presidential candidate by Democratic Party presidential hopeful Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was met with resistance and rallies. "Boediono, No! Budi Anduk Yes," one of the banners read, referring to comedian Budi Anduk.

        Apparently, Boediono, who was the central bank governor and finished his doctorate degree in Wharton School University of Pennsylvania, the United States, was seen as a pro-liberalism economist.

        Opposition to liberal economic concept prompted presidential candidates to explain their pro-people economic programs. In the coming presidential polls, there are three presidential tickets.

        Besides SBY-Boediono pair, Golkar Party Chairman Jusuf Kalla pairs up with Wiranto (JK-WIN). Wiranto is the general chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura). The other pair is Mega-Pro which sees the combination of Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and Prabowo Subianto, chairman of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

        The SBY-Boediono pair denied it had adopted neo-liberalism concept. "We do not adopt neo-liberalism. Many people talk about neo-liberalism but they do not understand what it is," he said when he spoke to a dialog organized by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

        His running mate Boediono also rejected the neo-lib label. "I want to argue and protest allegations that I am a pro-western economist. I am an Indonesian economist. I pursue studies in any region in Indonesia. So there is no need to label me as a pro-Western economist. Indonesia is my motherland," Boediono said.

        According to Yudhoyono, who is also incumbent president, in the past five years of his government, his administration had carried out many market interventions without merely leaving the problem to multinational companies.

        He said he was not a man who only wanted to achieve economic growth as high as possible while ignoring equitable distribution to the people. He admitted he did not believe the economic theory of trickle down effect where economic growth would start from the upper class and then trickle down to the people of lower economic class.

        "That does not work in developing countries. In the future there should be no longer a growth in part but in other part there people are only waiting for assistance," he said.

        Likewise, Boediono rejected allegations that he was a pro-liberalism economist. He said he was very sad to hear the allegations because throughout his long career he had been serving the nation.

        "So, I will say that national economic resilience is a strong economic form which will continue to be given attention to. In the current globalized world we have to develop pillars which support national economic resilience," he said.

        Yet, according to DR Marzuki DEA of the Makassar-based Unversity of Hasanuddin, it could be observed that Yudhoyono in the past five years of his government relied much on foreign assistance and tended to produce policies that supported middle and upper scale businesses.

        Economic analyst Revrisond Bawir of the University of Airlangga said Yudhoyono relied much on external debts. Indonesia external debts which fell due in 2009 amounted to US$6,485 million. It increased three-folds compared with those maturing in 2008.

        In this case, Yudhoyono and Kalla have a lot of different views over the economic policies. That's why, both of them could not be united not only because of political reasons but also of different views over economic policies, Marzuki said.

        He said Yudhoyono saw Boediono as a person who was able to translate his economic vision and mission. "Boediono is more able to translate Yudhoyono's economic ideas which tend to carry out liberal economy on the assumption that with liberal economy poverty and unemployment could be overcome," Marzuki DEA said.

        Kalla, who is currently vice president, is opposed to dependence too much on foreign capital and advocated the development of a self-reliant national economy. "We can be self-reliant because we are able and rich in natural resources. So far, we have not yet used our own capabilities to exploit our own natural resources," Kalla said.

        He said so far Indonesia had depended too much on foreigners. The development of airports in the country in the past 60 years, for example, were still carried out by contractors from Japan and France. Besides, the competitive edges of local products also needed to be improved so that they would be able to compete with imported ones.

        Basically, according to economic analyst Fadhil Hasan of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Kalla's economic mission is to promote the nation's competitive, fair and reliant economy. This concept will further be translated into the reinforcement of micro-small and medium business programs and of food resilience and land reform.

        "The idea is that it would be different from the present condition where the distribution of equitable economic gains is not created and the income gap is still widening," Fadhil Hasan said.

        In the meantime, he said, Megawati who paired with Prabowo Subianto would promote extremely pro-people economy and would take radical steps in improving the welfare of fisherman, farmers and low income people.***1*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/A/S012)

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 21-05-2009 21:41:06

RI'S POLICIES UNLIKELY TO CHANGE NO MATTER WHO GOVERNS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 18 (ANTARA) - After they registered at the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Saturday (May 16, 2009), there are now three official pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates who are ready to compete in the upcoming presidential race on July 8, 2009.

        The first pair to register was JK-WIN, or incumbent vice president Jusuf Kalla with his running mate Wiranto, who is chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).

        Coming to the KPU to register after the JK-WIN was Mega-Pro pair, which is a combination of Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and Prabowo Subianto, chairman of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

        The last to register on the same day was SBY-Berboedi, which saw incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to pair up with Boediono, who is the central bank governor.

        Observers viewed the SBY-Berboedi pair will pursue liberal economic policies. Boediono was believed by the public as a noted neo-lib economist, thus facing strong resistance, though Boediono denied this.

        On the other hand, the Mega-Pro pair is seen by the public as a pair who would pursue pro-people economic policies, orienting its economic development to micro-economic businesses for improving the welfare of farmers and fisherman.

        In the middle of the two is the JK-WIN pair who will pursue pro-people economic policies but would not be too protective to liberal economy.

        However, economic observer FX Sugianto of the Diponegoro University in Semarang said recently that Indonesia's economic policies would unlikely change significantly in the next government, no matter who would govern.

        "In the upcoming presidential race, candidates like Yudhoyono, Kalla and Subianto are keys to economic policy making. Kalla is likely to continue his more-or-less liberal economic policy while Yudhoyono and Subianto actually shared the view of developing pro-people economy," he said.

        In the meantime, economic analyst Aviliani said that incumbent president Yudhoyono has so far not yet reflected his economic policy in the country's micro economic development.

        "This is because the government has to carry out laws that were drafted in line with the policies of the International Monetary Funds (IMF)," Aviliani said in a talk-show with TVone on Monday.

        According to FX Sugianto, If Yudhoyono is re-elected, the economic policies he will take will not change. Most likely he will focus on the development of micro-small and medium scale businesses and on the agriculture.

        In the meantime, even though he is only a vice president if elected, Prabowo Subianto will play important roles in making and in implementing economic policies. "If he is elected to the vice presidency, he will act as the key player in directing the economic policies which would be implemented, particularly the economic programs he had offered during the elections campaigns," Sugianto said.

        During the legislative election campaigns, Prabowo Subianto offered pro-people economic concepts.

        Sugianto said that basically the economic concepts of Yudhoyono and Prabowo Subianto did not differ too much. "They both supported the people's economy and have greater intention to the agricultural sector," he said.

        He said it seemed that Subianto and Yudhoyono would optimize the domestic market so that the two would not have too much difference with regard to the economic development at home.

        However, when it comes to matters on foreign economic polices the two would show different policies. Subianto tended to adopt extreme steps in avoiding foreign influence. "Subianto will face a strong 'stream' because so far Indonesia adopted economic policies which are not too different from the liberal international economic policies," he said.

        In the meantime, the direction of the economy under Kalla who is current vice president, could now be seen, and if elected president in the coming presidential polls the economic policies he would take would unlikely change either. "Kalla tended to adopt economic policies which are liberal in nature," Sugianto said.

        He said that Kalla's character as a businessman would influence the economic policies he was adopting. "Kalla's economic policies tend to take side with big businesses and his influence in taking the economic policies would be greater than his running mate Wiranto," he added.

        But according to Aviliani, with Boediono as his running mate, Yudhoyono tended to develop macro and liberal economic policies. This is partly because a number of laws on economy were drafted in line with the directions of IMF. In the meantime, Kalla would pursue an economic policy line between that of Yudhoyono (liberal) and of Subianto (focused on people economy).

        Boediono who was picked by Yudhoyono as his running mate was opposed by certain quarters as he was seen as neo-lib economist. According to San Afri Awang, chief of the People's Economic Study Center of the Gajah Mada University, SBY needed Boediono's thoughts to contribute to the government economy.

        "Yudhoyono considers Boediono as a person who is able to provide thoughts in the development of Indonesia economy that would bring Indonesia to regaining its reliant and sovereign economy," Awang said.

        Therefore, the groups of people who disliked Boediono should press him to develop economy which was pro to the people, he added. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 18-05-2009 22:07:39

PRO-YUDHOYONO PARTIES QUESTION HIS PLAN TO PICK BOEDIONO

BY Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 12 (ANTARA) - Amid his efforts to approach the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and reports that he is going to pick Boediono as his running mate in the upcoming presidential race, Democratic Party (PD) chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is facing a threat of reduced support from party cadres in his coalition.

        Cadres of political parties which built a coalition with the PD are questioning Yudhoyono's reported plan to pick Boediono, governor of Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) as his running mate, a move seen by many quarters as an attempt to approach PDIP.

        "The emergence of Boediono is feared to dampen the spirit of political party cadres (in SBY's Democratic Party coalition)," secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, said.

        So far, PAN has been one of the political parties that have aligned themselves with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party. The other parties are the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP).

        On Tuesday, a number of lawmakers in the House of Representatives who are also cadres of political parties supporting Yudhoyono's coalition held a meeting at the parliament building to discuss Yudhoyono's reported plan to run with Boediono.

        The meeting was attended by chairman of PKS faction in the DPR Mahfudz Siddiq, PKS Secretary General Anis Matta, PPP faction chairman Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, PAN faction chairman who is also PAN secretary general M Najib and deputy secretary general of PKB Imam Nachrowi.

        "We are surprised by the information (that Yudhoyono is to pick Boediono as his running mate) because we were not consulted in the first place," Mahfudz Siddiq said. He said he heared the information on Monday.

        He said that he was also surprised to learn about the discourse about a coalition between the PD and PDIP. Political parties which have previously built a coalition with the PD also did not have any complete information from the Democratic Party's plan to coalesce with PDIP.

        "We learnt about the discourse from media reports and on the road. What kind of coalition is this? After all, Boediono was reportedly endorsed by PDIP," Mahfudz said.

        According to Mahfudz, the present conditions hampered the direction of the coalition which had just been built where Yudhoyono since the beginning had talked about the desired format and clear rules based on political contracts and common platform.

        In the meantime, Anis Matta said his side had received an invitation from SBY for the declaration of the presidential ticket on May 15 though the would-be vice residential candidate issue was not yet clear.

        Therefore, PKS and other political parties supporting Yudhoyono needed to take an attitude if Yudhoyono proceeded with his plan on Boediono's vice presidential candidacy without consulting political parties in the coalition.

        Associate chairman of PKS Mahfudz Siddiq said SBY's signal to pick Boediono indicated the weakness of communications and coalition now being built together with the Democratic Party (PD).

        "This is an indication that the coalescing process is not smooth and proceeding in one direction only. PKS was not asked to discuss the matter," Mahfudz Siddiq.

        He said that PKS would soon adopt an attitude together with other parties which had joined the PD coalition, namely PAN, PKB and PPP.

        According to secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, the emergence of Boediono is feared to dampen the spirit of political party cadres in SBY's Democratic Party coalition.

        Zulkifli said PAN cadre Hatta Rajasa, who is also minister/state secretary had told him that Yudhoyono had decided to pick Boediono as his running mate.

        Recently, PAN at its recent national working meeting in Yogyakarta recommended that Rajasa be proposed as a vice presidential candidate to pair with Yudhoyono. Thus, he was surprised when he heard that Boediono would be chosen as Yudhoyono's running mate.

        He said that the change in the map of would-be vice presidential candidate for Yudhoyono from Hatta Rajasa to Boediono had reduced PAN cadre's enthusiasm to fight for SBY's victory in the coming presidential elections.

        Zulkifli said PAN would hold a meeting soon to formulate its attitude towards Yudhoyono's plan (to pick Boediono). "We will meet again to determine PAN's stance after the signal that Rajasa is not to become SBY's vice presidential candidate," he added.

        The same thing was also expressed by Mahfudz Siddiq. He said his party had not decided whether to continue or to pull out of the coalition with the Democratic Party.

        Mahfudz said that if PDIP joined the coalition and SBY really embraced Boediono, PKS would surely question it. "Yudhoyono has always said that the coalition he was to build was a coalition with political parties which had the same political platform," he added.

        "So, we will question whether this coalition is based on political platform or on safeguarding interest only," he said.

        Imam Nachrowi of the the PKB said political parties which form the coalition should be consulted before a decision was to be taken. PKB wanted to build harmonious relations before the presidential elections were held.

        "Yet, the situation has turned like this even before the presidential elections are held. What would it be like later on?" he questioned.

        Lukaman Hakim meanwhile said that a decision on the vice presidential candidate was in the hands of the presidential candidate but PPP had firmly suggested that vice presidential candidate should be taken from political parties.

        "Our constituents also question the reason for picking up Boediono. So, it would be better for Yudhoyono to explained whether r this issue is true or not," he added. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/21:10/H-YH) (T.A014/A/A014/A/H-YH) 12-05-2009 21:07:45

GOLKAR PLAGUED BY INTERNAL RIFTS OVER COALITION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 3 (ANTARA) - The Golkar Party is now facing internal rifts between its central executive board and regional branches over a stand the former New Order political machine should take with regard to coalition and presidential/vice presidential candidacy for the upcoming July 8, 2009 presidential elections.

        Before last April 9 legislative elections, Golkar General Chairman Jusuf Kalla (JK) faced pressures from regional branches that Golkar should nominate its own presidential hopeful.

        Now, he is facing another round of pressures from district branches that it should coalesce with and offer its vice presidential candidate to the Democratic Party.

        The Democratic Party, of which incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is chief patron, is the winner with 20 percent of the votes of the April 9 legislative elections based on exit polls organized by a number of survey institutions. Golkar, winner of the 2004 legislative elections, finished third with about 14 percent of the votes.

        Incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who bowed to regional branches' pressures and announced his readiness during the recent election campaigns to run for presidency, officially declared on Friday Wiranto of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) as his running mate in the next presidential race.

        Kalla, who long before the election campaigns, has expressed his willingness to maintain his duet with Yudhoyono, was given last week the mandate by Golkar special national leadership meeting to build political communications with other political parties to form a coalition and decide a presidential/vice presidential candidate pair.

        However, the Golkar chairman is now facing internal rifts between those supporting his presidential bid and those pressing for coalescing again with the Democratic Party.

        "We have to admit that there are factions within Golkar which are unsatisfied with the declaration of JK-Wiranto presidential candidate pair. This is a kind of 'star wars' within the party elite over an attempt to abort the decision," Zainal Bintang, founder of the 'JK 4 President' said Saturday night.

        Zaenal Bintang, a leader of the MKGR, a mess organization affiliated to Golkar, said that Golkar had to work hard to overcome the internal rifts and offset the impact of the the 'star wars.'

        He said that dissatisfactions aroused not only within Golkar but also outside the party, namely those who wanted to take advantage of Golkar as a 'riding horse'. Bintang, who is also a compartment chairman of Golkar said that Golkar's decision to declare its presidential and vice presidential pair needed to be safeguarded.

        "Kalla has to conduct a road-show to regions immediately to unite the heart and thoughts of Golkar's cadres in all layers. His visit to potential cadres in the regions is the best way to build strengths," Bintang said.

        He said that Kalla should not be careless because cadres who were disappointed were strong. "They continue to build consolidation and strength and try to capitalize on Kalla's weaknesses," Bintang Added.

        Irsyad Sudiro, a senior cadre of Golkar, also aired the same voice. He said that there were cadres who were unsatisfied with the declaration of Kalla and Wiranto as Golkar's presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming presidential contest.

        "Not all aspirations in the district level want Golkar to nominate its own presidential hopeful," Sudiro said. He said that with winning only about 14 percent of the votes in the April 9 legislative elections, Golkar had no enough chance to win the presidential elections. Therefore, some Golkar cadres want that Golkar should coalesce with the Democratic Party and continue its SBY-JK duet for the second term.

        Sudiro, who is also a chairman of the House of Board of Ethics, said that he himself was one of the cadres who wanted Golkar to maintain its coalition with the Democratic Party because a coalition with it had a big chance to win the presidential elections.

        "For sure, not all elements within Golkar are willing to accept the JK-Wiranto duet but the JK-SBY instead," Sudiro said.

        However, in get-together with the leaders of Golkar Party's district-level branches in Makassar, South Sulawesi on Saturday, Kalla revealed why he decided to part the Democratic Party and broke with Yudhoyono.

        "As many as three times, I told President Yudhoyono that Golkar still wanted to remain a partner, but every time the answer was yes, we will be together, no clear answer. If it's yes, then say yes. If it's no, then say no. So it meant, well, let us just part. Golkar is not begging for any position," Kalla said.

        He said that Yudhoyono even set certain conditions. "I have been serving as his vice president, still he set conditions. This was just a way to say no, meaning there was no sincerity. We, Golkar, felt our self-respect was compromised," Kalla said.

        Because Golkar felt it was being belittled, Golkar eventually decided to separate from the Democratic Party, he said.

        He reminded that when a cadre of the Democratic Party sometime in the past said Golkar would only be able to win 2.5 percent of the legislative elections, Golkar felt it was being belittled.

        Therefore, all provincial branches of Golkar at that time asked him to move forward as a presidential hopeful. "Because Golkar felt its dignity was being offended, I could not reject pressures from provincial branches who wanted to nominate me. If I reject it, it will cause divisions within Golkar," he said.

        Now however, Kalla is facing many obstacles posed by the people within as well as outside the Golkar Party in his bid to run for president.

        "Certain elements in the party claiming to represent Golkar's 320 district branches are against my bid. But when I checked, they only proved to represent themselves, somebody had paid them. I ordered the police to arrest those people who had misused the party's name," Kalla said.***1*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014)