Power dressing

TOWARDS the end of the House of Representatives' (DPR) five-year term, the legislators are creating one big controversy. People are protesting over the Local Elections (Pilkada) Bill, which seeks to return the local election system to the old one by which local chief executives would be selected by the regional councils (DPRD).

Even though the legislation is still in the planning stage, the conflict between the two groups in the DPR indicates the rivalry between the Red and White Coalition against the parties led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has not ended. The Red and White Coalition wants elections via the DPRD while the 'other side' want to retain direct elections of local leaders. It is, moreover, clear that the Pilkada Bill was launched because of the need to dominate power, not to comply with the people's wishes.

September 16, 2014