Assembly finalizes preparations for General Session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly rehearsed for
\nits General Session yesterday as the 1,000 members checked into
\ntheir hotel accommodation for the March 1 to March 11 gathering
\nthat will eat up almost Rp 45 billion ($5 million) in taxpayers'
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
Security was tightened at the parliamentary compound on Jl.
\nGatot Subroto, with dozens of troops and police seen patrolling
\nat every corner of the venue of the quinquennial event. At least
\n10 armored cars were parked near the Assembly building.<\/p>\n
Other activities marking the final countdown for the session
\nincluded minor refurbishing of the main convention hall and the
\ninstallment of telephone boxes and other telecommunications
\ndevices.<\/p>\n
Assembly Secretary-General Afif Ma'roef said yesterday the
\nlegislators would stay at four hotels in the city's business
\ncenter. In additional to room expenses, the secretariat-general
\nis covering daily meals and the laundry of all the legislators,
\nfrom yesterday through March 13.<\/p>\n
Afif said each legislator would get a daily session allowance
\nof Rp 60,000 plus an honorarium of Rp 600,000.<\/p>\n
The 737 Golkar and regional representatives members are being
\naccommodated at Hotel Indonesia and Hotel President, both on Jl.
\nM.H. Thamrin. All 134 representatives of the United Development
\nParty (PPP) are staying at Hotel Sahid Jaya on Jl. Sudirman,
\nwhile the 16 Indonesian Democratic Party legislators and 113
\nrepresentatives of the Armed Forces are being put up at Hotel
\nSari Pan Pacific on Jl. Thamrin.<\/p>\n
The monetary crisis has caused the budget for the General
\nSession to double. Afif said the convention was projected to cost
\nRp 44.7 billion, compared to Rp 24.3 billion five years ago.<\/p>\n
He said more than Rp 30 billion of the budget had been used to
\nfinance the preliminary stage of the General Session which ended
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
\"The increase is quite understandable due to the sharp
\nappreciation of the U.S. dollar against the rupiah,\" Afif said,
\nadding that the present budget for the General Session was based
\non a rupiah exchange rate of 5,000 to the dollar.<\/p>\n
The massive security measures drew complaints yesterday from
\nPPP. Party executive Hamzah Haz said the huge deployment of
\ntroops and police had sparked anxiety among the people.<\/p>\n
\"It seems that the incoming session will serve as a rubber
\nstamping ceremony of all the outcomes of the preliminary stage.
\nSo why should we take such extraordinary security precautions?<\/p>\n
\"I'm afraid it will cause the current democratization to
\nsuffer a setback,\" Hamzah told a media conference.<\/p>\n
Twenty-five thousand security personnel from the Army, Navy,
\nAir Force and police have been deployed to safeguard the Assembly
\nconvention which will endorse the 1998\/2003 State Policy
\nGuidelines and elect a president and vice president.<\/p>\n
Increased security measures have also been implemented across
\nthe country to anticipate any disturbances to the Assembly
\nsession.<\/p>\n
A wave of riots over prices has hit more than 25 towns and
\ncities in Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatra and Nusa Tenggara
\nover the past two months. At least five people died during the
\nunrest.<\/p>\n
Security reasons are behind the Jakarta Education and Culture
\nOffice's decision to ask schools to take a break during the 11
\ndays the Assembly meets. (byg\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/assembly-finalizes-preparations-for-general-session-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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