Multiparty system ‘weakens’ President

Indonesia’s presidential system of government, which grants much power to the executive, is substantially weakened by multiple parties in the legislature, experts say.

Eko Prasojo, a state administration expert at the University of Indonesia, said multiple parties in the legislature has led to fragmentation and various political concessions that make the presidential system ineffective.

“Politicians view the executive branch’s practices from a political perspective,” he said. “The presidential system has become ineffective because of many limits result from concessions made to political parties.”

One of the effects of the concessions is the President’s inability to choose his own ministers, he said. “Choosing ministers is dominated by the practice of political barter,” he said, adding that the practice would be minimized by reducing the number of political parties.

There are currently 560 legislators in nine factions in the House of Representatives.

Another expert, Andalas University’s Constitution Study Center director Saldi Isra, said that compromises resulted in fixed quotas for appointing ministers from each party in the coalition.

“The multiparty system under the presidential system has reduced one of the President’s rights to decide the state’s ministers,” he said.

He added that legislators still lacked the courage to draft election laws that decreased the number of political parties due to vociferous criticism.

“Conflict can’t be avoided but what is important is basing the draft on the right arguments,” he said.

Saldi added that the formation of political parties may not be restricted but participation in the legislature must adhere to electoral rules and laws, such as electoral and parliamentary thresholds.

Indonesia’s 2009 legislative elections set a parliamentary threshold — the minimum target required to secure seats in the parliament — of 2.5 percent. 

“As long as there is no effort to reduce the number of political parties, our presidential system will be locked into practices that will not be productive for our democracy’s growth,” he said.

A serious flaw in the presidential system arises when a highly popular president receives the support of a political party with a substantial majority, he said.

“Authoritarian regimes are problems in the making in those situations, especially if the coalition that forms is not critical of the president,” he told a seminar on the Constitution held at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Wednesday.

High-profile lawyer and former Presidential Advisory Council member Adnan Buyung Nasution suggested a “semi-presidential” system. “Here, the president divides tasks and authority with a prime minister, whose role is clearly defined by the Constitution,” he said.

The President would still have the authority to make critical decisions such as amending the Constitution or appointing local officials, but the management of the government’s daily activities would reside with the prime minister, he added.

France and South Korea offer good examples he said, adding that Indonesia had prime ministers in the 1940s and 1950s, such as Sutan Sjahrir, Amir Sjarifoeddin and Mohammad Hatta. (gzl)

Sumber:http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/19/multiparty-system-‘weakens’-president.html