KONTAN.CO.ID -  JAKARTA. Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has suggested scrapping one of the country's two nationwide elections to cut costs, advocating a return to a model similar to that used during its three-decade era of authoritarian rule.

Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, currently votes for presidents and national and regional legislatures in one election and chooses mayors, governors and regents in another.

Prabowo late Thursday suggested abolishing the second election and having regional legislatures choose mayors and governors instead. This, he said, would free up funds to spend on upgrades and school meals.

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"We feel the democracy that we have ... there are things that we need to fix together," he said in a speech at the congress of the Golkar Party.

"We have to ask ourselves, is the system," he said, referring to elections. "How many trillions were spent in one or two days?"

Prabowo's suggestion of having legislators choose local leaders is reminiscent of the "New Order" era of the late strongman ruler Suharto, his former father-in-law, under whom he served as special forces commander. He was later dismissed from the military amid allegations of human rights abuses, which he has consistently denied.

Prabowo swept February's election with 58% of the votes in his third attempt at the presidency. He quickly consolidated power by forming a parliamentary coalition that included all but one political party.

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Some political activists and academics have expressed concern about the extent of Prabowo's power and how he will use it given his past under Suharto's 32-year autocracy and previous critical statements about democracy.

Prabowo's office did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on whether he will formally propose ending regional elections. Such a move would require an overhaul of election laws.

Political analyst Yoes C. Kenawas said regional elections were still the best way for people to ensure local leaders were accountable.

"Prabowo's idea does not make sense. It cuts corners," he said, likening it to the New Order era. "This could be a setback to Indonesia's democracy." ($1 = 15,920.0000 rupiah) 

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Editor: Syamsul Azhar