Indonesia adopts direct presidential elections

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- In a major expansion of democracy, Indonesia's top legislature amended the constitution Saturday to require direct presidential elections and end reserved parliament seats for the military.

Closing out its annual two-week session, the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly also turned back calls to impose Islamic-based law in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

The assembly's decision to abolish its own role as an electoral college that picks the head of state is considered the most important government change since the 1960s, when Indonesia was shaken by political unrest.

When Speaker Amien Rais asked the delegates to agree on a direct presidential ballot beginning with the 2004 election, they chorused: "Agreed."

All the measures endorsed Saturday were adopted by consensus rather than open ballot, after party leaders agreed no faction should be publicly seen to be defeated.

Since Dutch colonial rule ended after World War II, the assembly has elected the president for five-year terms. But legislators and pro-democracy groups have been pressing since 1998 for a direct vote by Indonesia's 210 million people.

Indonesia has a strong executive presidency, making Cabinet ministers responsible to the president rather than parliament and giving the president wide powers, including the right to regulate a wide range of matters by decree.

Gen. Suharto, who came to power in a military coup in 1966, abused the system by rigging six consecutive presidential ballots starting in 1971. He was ousted four years ago after widespread street protests.

The proposal adopted Saturday sets up a two-stage election for president, with a runoff required if no candidate wins an outright majority in the first round.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's founding father, Sukarno, is the country's most popular politician and is expected to easily win re-election.

Legislators also reached consensus on speeding up the abolition of 38 unelected parliament seats reserved under Suharto for the security forces. The seats will end in 2004, rather than 2009 as previously planned.

Hardliners among the traditionally dominant army leadership opposed the move, but it was supported by reformers in the air force, navy and police.

"This means that the military and police will be concentrating more on professionalism," said Rear Adm. Franky Kaihatu, a military legislator.

Two Muslim parties dropped their proposal for the adoption of Islamic law, known as "sharia." The idea faced strong opposition from secular parties as well as the country's biggest religious organizations.

"We agreed that the article on the freedom of religion will remain unchanged in the 1945 Constitution," said Jusuf Muhammad, a leader of the National Awakening Party, a moderate Muslim party that advocates keeping Indonesia a secular state.

The development was expected. A proposal to introduce Islamic law has been on the agenda of every assembly session since Suharto's overthrow, but it has never attracted significant support.