Assembly establishes working committee<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nestablished on Monday a 90-member working committee tasked to
\nprepare amendments to the 1945 Constitution, set procedures for
\nthe presidential election and formulate draft decrees on various
\nstate affairs.<\/p>\n
The committee will also design the broad outlines of the State
\nPolicy Guidelines (GBHN) for the 1999-2004 period, MPR chairman
\nAmien Rais told reporters on Monday after a consultative meeting
\nwith the 11 factions of the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"The working committee will play a strategic role during the
\nannual MPR General Session and the five-year tenure of the
\nAssembly,\" Amien added.<\/p>\n
The first task of this committee, from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14, is
\nto prepare draft decrees, amendments to the Constitution and
\nState Policy Guidelines and set procedures for the presidential
\nelection for deliberation at the MPR General Session starting on
\nOct. 14, Amien added.<\/p>\n
\"The committee will work for the next five years to perform
\nthe administrative work of the highest law-making body and to
\nmake preparations for its annual General Session,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When asked about the stipulations of the Constitution which
\nrequire amendments, Amien simply said: \"Numerous.\"<\/p>\n
Hatta Radjasa, an MPR member from the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), concurred and said the Team-7 forum of seven parties,
\nincluding Golkar, PAN and PPP, agreed to amend the Constitution's
\nstipulations, which give too much power to the president.<\/p>\n
\"We have agreed, for example, that a president can hold office
\nfor only two periods,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Radjasa said former president Soeharto took advantage of vague
\nstipulations in the Constitution regarding the presidency for
\nenabling him to stay in power for seven consecutive terms.<\/p>\n
\"Such a thing will no longer happen in the future,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy chairman Slamet Efendy Yusuf said his faction
\nwould also recommend a review of the status of 135 regional
\nrepresentatives and 65 interest group representatives appointed
\n(not elected) to the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"I think there are no longer any political reasons to maintain
\nthe two political groupings at the Assembly since their
\naspirations can be channeled through political parties,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Constitution stipulates that the MPR consists of elected
\nHouse members, appointed representatives from the provinces and
\ninterest groups.<\/p>\n
Members of the committee will be led by the MPR leadership
\nwhich will consist of representatives from the eleven factions at
\nthe Assembly (not ten factions as it appeared in The Jakarta
\nPost's Monday edition), in proportion to the number of their
\nmembers at the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Amien added that seats on the working committee were
\napportioned under a ratio of one seat for every eight members in
\nthe Assembly.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nfaction, which has a total of 188 members in the Assembly, will
\nhave 24 representatives on the committee and the 164-member
\nGolkar faction will have 21.<\/p>\n
The 64-member United Development Party (PPP) faction will put
\nin eight representatives, the 57-member National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) seven, the Indonesian Military\/National Police faction,
\nwhich has 38 members, will get five seats and the 44-member
\nReform faction six.<\/p>\n
The joint Indonesian Unity and Nationhood faction and the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB) faction will each get one seat and the
\n65-member interest group faction will get nine. (rms)<\/p>",
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