PAN Chairman In Favor Of Direct Election

Jakarta, Sept 9 (Antara) - A chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Didi Supriyanto said the present system of electing regional leaders directly by the people should be maintained. "Election of regional leaders (Pilkada) directly by the people should be maintained as DPRD is made up of factions which could not represent the constitutional rights of the people," he said here on Tuesday. Didi`s statement is against his party position that joins a coalition in the Parliament revising the present system. Under the revised system, governors, regents, and city mayors would be elected by the members of regional legislative assembly (DPRD). PAN is a member of a coalition that controls the majority votes at the Parliament and that had voted for revision of the present law on regional elections. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and other parties that support president elect Joko Widodo, have challenged the revision seeking judicial review by the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court is yet to decide on the revision. Didi acknowledged there are shortcomings and weaknesses in the direct election system and that corrections and improvements are needed but the substance of direct election is an absolute right of the people. He said Pilkada is to elect candidates for regional administrators to lead the people in the regions, therefore, "it is very much logical if the regional leaders are elected directly by the people." "In addition historically election of regional leaders directly is the `original intent` of the amendment to the 1945 Constitution. Almost all factions at that time agreed in principle that governors, regents and mayors are elected directly by the people," he said. Article 18 point 4 of the Constitution says governors, regents and city mayors are elected "democratically" not elected directly by the people. One of the reasons for revision of direct election is that direct election is too expensive . Didi said the cost could be reduced by improving the implementation by holding elections of governors, regents and city mayors at the same time . "It will save time and the budget," he said. Possible conflicts and money politics could be reduced through firm law enforcement giving greater authority to the Election Watchdog and Election Commission to give sanctions against violation of election regulation and money politics, he said. "Conflicts and money politics had been rampant in the last elections because of weak position of the election commission and watchdogs ," he said. Corrupt regional leaders are not necessary the result of direct election, he said.