Wednesday, July 29, 2009

After the Elections

On 25 July, incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) & former Central Bank Governor Boediono have officially been announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) as the President elect/Vice President elect for 2009-2014.

If everything goes fine, they will both be inducted as President & Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on 20 October 2009.

However, the current political developments in Indonesia shows that the road ahead might not be smooth for both of them. Here are the obstacles that they might face:

1) Rival candidate President/Vice President: Megawati/Prabowo & Jusuf Kalla/Wiranto are very unsatisfied with the result of Presidential election on 8 July, and they have filed complaints with the Constitutional Court (MK). There are several grounds for complaints, but the significant one being irregularities in the Permanent Voters Lists (DPT). In this case, MK Chief Mahfud MD has stated that if there is evidence massive foul play, a new election can be held.
2) Last week the Supreme Court (MA) passed a judicial review which cancelled KPU regulation regarding distribution of seats in the national Parliament (DPR), as a result more than 60 seats will be shifted from six smaller parties: PKS, PKB, PAN, PPP, Gerindra and Hanura, to 3 major parties: Democrat Party, Golkar and PDI-P.

For details on the above (in bahasa Indonesia), please click here, here, here and here.

Considering the above mentioned facts, I felt that all irregularities during the elections should be settled immediately by MK, in which case all parties involved should be willing to accept whatever decision that will be made.
Regarding MA's Judicial Review, all parties including KPU and the political parties should seat together and work things out based on the best interest of our country, therefore they should shed away their individual ego.

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