Angara: Cha-cha should be held after 2004 polls

Opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara said yesterday the proposed amendment of the Constitution can take place after next year’s combined presidential, congressional and local elections.

"If we decide to make a shift in government from presidential to parliamentary, that should be done after the 2004 elections because the newly elected administration will provide the six-year transition period toward a new system of government," he said.

He said the people must be assured that the move in Congress to rewrite the Charter does not involve postponing next year’s elections.

Angara and Lakas Sen. Robert Barbers have authored a resolution asking Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to propose Charter changes.

He said he believes that "we need to amend the Charter to allow the country to move forward."

"But the people must fully realize this need. They must fully understand the issues underlying Charter change," he said.

Angara pointed out that many suspect that lawmakers prefer the constituent assembly mode of revising the Constitution because they would propose amendments that would benefit themselves.

"We must assure them that we will not allow any change in the Constitution that will benefit the current crop of politicians," he said.

Cha-cha proponents in the House of Representatives are hoping that Angara and Barbers would push their initiative in the Senate.

However, while Angara wants any change in the form of government to take place after next year’s elections, congressmen envision the 2004 polls to be for a French-type parliament.