MUST CONSTITUTION BE AMENDED TO GIVE THIRD TERM TO PRESIDENT?

Andi Abdussalam

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.