The Hindu : Indonesia looks at poll reform

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 07, 2002

International

International

Indonesia looks at poll reform

JAKARTA AUG. 6. Indonesia's voters could get the chance to elect their President directly for the first time as soon as 2004, after a top legislative commission signed off on the proposal on Tuesday.

The proposed change to the country's Constitution will be presented to the full Assembly on Thursday.

If approved by the Assembly, the proposal would be sent to Parliament, which could set up the elections as soon as 2004.

Currently, the People's Consultative Assembly has the power to choose and dismiss the President and Vice-President.

It used that power last year to remove the President, Abdurrahman Wahid.

Direct Presidential elections could be a major step forward for this fledgling democracy, which only emerged in 1998 from a 32-year dictatorship.

New election rules are among the hotly contested issues the Assembly is debating in its 12-day annual session that ends next Monday.

The Assembly is also considering changes in the constitution that would force the military from politics and mandate traditional Islamic law.

In a related development, water cannons dispersed thousands of protesters who demanded sweeping constitutional reforms, including the right of voters to elect the President directly and an end to the military's official role in politics.

About 3,000 people, most of them students, demanded the 700-member body introduce direct Presidential elections and eliminate a block of 38 seats reserved for representatives of the security forces.

"We must have reforms or die," demonstrators chanted.

Police strung razor wire behind the main gates to prevent the students from entering the compound.

When protesters began rocking the gates and throwing plastic water bottles at officers, three water cannons were used to disperse them.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Many Indonesians say that a transformation from military dictatorship to democracy cannot be achieved if the armed forces retain a high profile and official role within politics. — AP

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