Coalition building vital in Indonesian poll
Updated
Official campaigning for Indonesia's parliamentary elections begins today.. with 38 parties taking part.
Observers say the polls are so huge, the ballot papers read like newspapers. However, the fomer Chairman of Indonesia's Constitutional Court says the number of political parties after the April election will shrink dramatically. Jimly Asshiddiqie says political parties will consolidate, as only parties with at least 2-point-5 percent of the people's support will survive.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Professor Jimly Asshiddiqie, founding Chief Justice of Indonesia's Constitutional Court, and current Chair of the Honorary Council of Indonesia's National Elections Commission and Professor of Law at the University of Indonesia
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ASSHIDDIQIE: Some of the aspects that disappointment with the performance of present parliament, not because of the number of seats actually. It's because of the performance of each of the members of parliament, each political parts not yet really established, not really institutionalised and the mechanism also still in the process, so we need time.
LAM: In the last general election, there was a bit of concern amongst politicians that many Indonesians were either leaving their ballot papers blank or spoiling their votes and this is the so-called Golongan Putih sector. How can you overcome that? How can you persuade disillusioned Indonesians that it is worthwhile to cast their vote and exercise their franchise?
ASSHIDDIQIE: One of the problems that the regulation is changing, not stable yet. Well until just last week, only before several weeks before the election, there is new regulations on the ballot mechanism and also in the counting system. So this is one of the problem and because of that, it is not easy for the Election Commission to socialise. Indonesia is very big and even the elite themselves is not ready to accept new mechanism. Before we used to make a hole in the party sign, on the ballot paper, but now you can making a hole any more, but you just scratch, by using a pen. So this changing, also very disturbing, very difficult for the people. We need to use these coming weeks to more socialise the way to vote. And also 2004 elections, many who vote before said well, this will be very difficult, but al-hamdu lil-Allah, Thanks to God, it's well done, and also now, it's become one of a very good examples of successful elections in Indonesia.
LAM; So you're quite optimistic, that...
ASSHIDDIQIE: I am, I am.
LAM: You're quite optimistic, that Indonesians, that they are exercising their democratic rights. But has there been much publicity in the lead up to the April polls to tell people what the elections are all about and also to encourage people to vote?
ASSHIDDIQIE: Yeah. This is what is happening now, that is the job of the Nation Commissions, not only in the national level but also in provincial and districts and they do very tight schedule now. We're also supported by the government the bureaucracy and I always invite, encourage all the political figures and formal and informal leaders to help success this coming election, because this election will be very, very important and after this, there will be consolidations in our democracy.
LAM: As you say, the elections in April for parliamentary seats are very important and they are also important in that they would give an indication as to who is likely to be the next president, yes, of Indonesia?
ASSHIDDIQIE: Yes, it will be done in July, first round and the second round will be in September.
LAM: In what way, are the parliamentary elections so important in determining who will run for the presidency and indeed ultimately, who becomes president?
ASSHIDDIQIE: Yeah, now because the number of political parties is a lot, so altogether 44, but national level, 38. So the presidents in the future, the next president will be dependent upon the coalitions between political parties, because he cannot run the government only himself, although he is very popular, but if he does not have enough support in the parliament, he will get problem. There are now so many candidates for president and everybody thought he's good enough to be president. But only three or four at most, because parties or a group of parties who has the right to propose candidates, only those who can collect 20 per cent vote. I don't think there will be any political party that will get more than 20, so they have to make a coalition.
LAM: Make a coalition.
ASSHIDDIQIE: Yes.
LAM: So do you foresee then, that ultimately, there might be only three or four presidential candidates?
ASSHIDDIQIE: I think so, yeah. At most four, may be only three.
LAM: Mmm. And finally Professor Jimly, what would you say are the main issues in this coming general elections that concern the people and indeed the candidates?
ASSHIDDIQIE: I think the economy. Corruption - that's a very burning issues among the people, yeah. Not only because of the global financial crisis, but also we still have not yet feet (got back on our feet) since our own crisis ten years ago, so the economy and welfare activities, welfare programmes in grassroot levels this is one, and then workers' problem. And I think this is the first issue and the second issue is corruption. So now all the political parties campaign that he is very ANTI-corruption, but I do not know whether it's right or not.
LAM: You're a bit sceptical, yes?
ASSHIDDIQIE: As politicians are always like that.
LAM: Well certainly the disparity between the rich and poor and the gap between the rich and poor in Indonesia is quite dramatic and a large part of that is due to corruption, not just high level corruption on the ground, on the local level.
ASSHIDDIQIE: Yes, you're right, yeah.
LAM: Is there anyway out of this or do you think it will be a long time before this culture is changed?
ASSHIDDIQIE: No, I don't think it takes to long time, because when we can do successful elections in this coming general elections, there are many signs of consolidations in political system, consolidation in the government institution, and bureaucratic reform will be done. Why? Because in this coming election, there is, for example, one of the policies already decided in the law. There is the parliamentary threshold, meaning that those parties not reaching two-and-a-half percent vote, two-and-a-half percent support from the people, it cannot sit in the parliament. So all the seats will be wasted, meaning that in the future, there will be no incentive for the people to create new political parties. So there will be a merging among political parties and this will create a stronger government. And besides that, by the experience of these five years, our government is not very strong, so there is a widespread understanding that when the next President will form a cabinet, he will make permanent coalition between the executive and the legislative. Then, the government will be stronger, meaning that all new things that should be done, can be effectively done by the next government. Like, for example, bureaucratic reform, economic policy, pro-environment, and pro-people and so on and so forth.
LAM: So are you saying then, also that having fewer political parties, might forge a stronger unity of purpose?
ASSHIDDIQIE: I think so, I think so.
LAM: And this would augur go well for Indonesia?
ASSHIDDIQIE: I hope so. It is better for us to see Indonesia democracy in an optimistic view, and that I think will happen.
