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Dems keep options open with walkout
Jakarta Post - September 27, 2014
In the early hours of Friday lawmakers at the House passed the law, which restores the power to select local leaders to regional legislatures, by a vote of 226 to 135. The law was supported mainly by lawmakers from the Red-and-White Coalition led by losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.
The Dems who were expected to help the coalition of president-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to maintain direct elections, abruptly walked out of the session after the House rejected its proposed list of amendments to the direct-election system.
The Democrats' move paved the way for indirect elections to be reinstated, in spite of Yudhoyono's pledge that his party would side with the public's aspirations for direct elections.
Chrisbiantoro from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) suggested that the Democrats were seeking to preserve its position within the Red-and-White Coalition, which will dominate the next House, scheduled for inauguration on Oct. 1.
"It appears the Democratic Party does not want to oppose its coalition, but at the same time it still wants to have a good relationship with Jokowi's camp," he said on Friday.
"It is likely that the party is seeking to secure the leadership of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and also looking for seats in Jokowi's Cabinet," he said.
Under the newly passed Legislative Institution Law, known as MD3, the Red-and-White Coalition, which will control 60 percent of House seats, will determine the next House leadership. Reports have suggested that the coalition promised the Democrats the chairmanship of the MPR.
Charta Politika political analyst Yunarto Wijaya suggested that Yudhoyono might not have been involved in the deal. "A rumor circulating suggests that the deal was between the coalition and Nurhayati Assegaf [chairperson of the Dems faction at the House]," Yunarto said.
Although the Dems' walkout ran contrary to Yudhoyono's stance, some Democratic Party lawmakers claim they left the House after receiving a directive from Yudhoyono. "Max Sopacua [deputy party chairman] and Nurhayati claimed to have received the text message from SBY. What can I say?" said lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul.
I Gede Pasek Suardika, one of six Democrat lawmakers who refused to walk out, raised the suspicion that some senior party members lied about the text message.
"If it turns out that the walkout was initiated by senior members, our chairman [Yudhoyono] must treat this seriously [...] they have betrayed SBY, who supported direct elections," he said.
Yunarto warned the apparent insubordination might risk the party's future. "The party is on the brink of collapse if it turns out that some members defied Yudhoyono's direction," he said.
Vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla has suggested that Jokowi's coalition still held an open door for the party to join. "We will asses [a possible partnership] based on the existing situation," he said, as quoted by kompas.
om. Kalla's view was supported by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, Maruarar Sirait. "It is still in the communication phase. We want to build a partnership based on mutual vision, mission and trust," Maruarar said.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/27/dems-keep-options-open-with-walkout.html.
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