Indonesia, Looking for Best Method in Election

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially published two governments regulation in lieu of law (Perppu). This legislation aims to revise Law No. 22 Year 2014 on local elections and Law Number 23 Year 2014 on Regional Government. Both regulations had intended to make the election of regional heads who previously set selected by the Regional Representatives Council (DPRD), converted into directly by the people.

image source: republika.co.id

President Yudhoyono said that during the 10 years leading Indonesia, he always agreed to the direct election process. However, the president SBY still feel that there needs to improve its implementation. Therefore, the improvement has also been incorporated into this new release Perppu. At least, there is a 10 points improvement set forth in the presidential regulation, including:

1. Public test prospective of head region candidate. Through public testing, it can prevent the candidate from poor and low capacity. However, this does not disqualify a public test a person's right to run as governors, regents and mayors.
2. Savings budget cuts significantly due to the perceived cost are too much for this.
3. Set restrictions on campaign and campaign openly. It is considered to reduce the cost of campaigns and prevent collisions between masses.
4. Accountability campaign funds including social funds. The goal is to prevent collusion.
5. Prohibition of political money, including dawn raids and the payment to the bearer of a political party. This is because during this time, many regional heads corrupt because they have to cover the large cost of the previous campaign expenditures.
6. Prohibition of slander and black campaign. This certainly could mislead the public because of adverse maligned candidate. The perpetrators of libel should be given legal sanction.
7. Prohibition of deployment of the bureaucratic apparatus. During this time, large number of candidates using the bureaucratic apparatus that could interfere its neutrality.
8. Prohibition of removal of the bureaucratic apparatus, after election, because the winning candidate was not supported by the bureaucratic apparatus.
9. Complete accountable election dispute resolution and not a protracted and need a system that is not easy to do bribery.
10. Demanding candidate responsibilities for the conduct of their supporters. During this time, there is little violence and destructive happens in the elections.

In addition to the ten proposed improvement, there are many other improvements are included in the election Perppu. Among other things, the local head election has been saved by arranging expensive implementation gradually, and eventually started simultaneously in 2020.

Meanwhile, in Perppu No. 2 of 2014, the government revised the authority of Parliament only in choosing the head area. This removes the indirect election mechanism in the Act No. 23 Year 2014 on Regional Government. Perppu No. 1 in 2014 and No. 2 Perppu In 2014 it will be given to the President of the House of Representatives. Furthermore, the House will give approval or rejection of the Perppu.

The President stated, both Perppu publishing is a form of joint struggle of the Indonesian people to maintain direct local elections. The President declared the direct election is the result of the reformation struggle.

However, many people who doubt the effectiveness of this legislation. Perppu on direct elections deemed as useless. The existence of such Perppu considered doubtful and uncertain accepted by the House of Representatives.