Menimbang Masa Jabatan Presiden [Weighing the Presidential Term of Office]

Abstract

An article by Moh. Mahfud MD, then Director of the Postgraduate Programme at UII (Universitas Islam Indonesia) Yogyakarta, on Siswono Yudohusodo's proposal that the presidential term after Pak Harto be limited to two periods. Mahfud sets out the controversy over the interpretation of Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution and its elucidation, which is said to be "already clear", and then asserts, from the standpoint of constitutionalism, that limiting power in both its scope and its duration is necessarily required, all the more so given a paternalistic culture and the culture of ewuh pakewuh (reluctance to offend superiors). Realistically, however, he predicts that the idea will not reach the 1998 General Session of the MPR (People's Consultative Assembly) because it does not accord with Pak Harto's political views, whereas the revival of MPR Decree No. VI/1988 will succeed because it was put forward by Pak Harto himself.