President Conveys His Opposition To Indirect Election At BDF

Nusa Dua, Bali, Oct 10 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the seventh Bali Democracy Forum`s participants here Friday that he opposed the law on the election of local leaders by regional legislative assemblies. "I oppose the new law because it is a regress in the Indonesian democracy," he said in his speech in the open session of the forum, also attended by the leaders of Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines and East Timor. The head of state said he did believe in the positive sides of the direct election of regional leaders and was aware of lots of Indonesians` rejection to the law recently passed by the House of Representatives` (DPR) plenary session. Despite the positive sides of the direct election, President Yudhoyono admitted that a number of direct elections produced unqualified local leaders. "But, the answer to this challenge is not revoking the direct elections of regional leaders," he said. Instead, what needs to reform is the system of election that enables the people to elect qualified leaders, he told delegates of 85 countries attending the Bali Democracy Forum. In bringing the people`s rights to elect their local leaders directly, President Yudhoyono said he had issued the government regulation in lieu of law.