Assembly reluctant to make changes<\/p>\n
By Dwi Atmanta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two months of deliberation in the People's
\nConsultative Assembly concluded last week with an inevitable
\nresolution that silenced calls for a political overhaul.<\/p>\n
Debates did mark the Assembly sessions all the way along, but
\nit was an obvious, one-sided tug-of-war pitting two minority
\nfactions -- the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) -- against the dominant Golkar and its
\ntraditional allies -- the powerful Armed Forces and regional
\nrepresentatives factions.<\/p>\n
Now that the Assembly has unanimously voted in favor of
\nGolkar's draft 1998\/2003 State Policy Guidelines, although with
\nsome revision, and against minority parties-sponsored motions for
\nseparate decrees in support of major political changes, the next
\ngeneral session of the Assembly in March looks set to serve as a
\nrubber stamp.<\/p>\n
The 1,000-member Assembly will also elect a president and vice
\npresident in March.<\/p>\n
PPP and PDI factions brought a total of eight motions on
\nAssembly internal rule changes, Pancasila democracy, economic
\ndemocracy, clean government, judicial review, human rights
\nprotection, election regulation changes and revocation of the
\ncontroversial floating mass policy. All of them were ruled out.<\/p>\n
Some persistence was demonstrated by Moslem-based PPP in its
\nbid for election rule changes and revocation of the floating mass
\npolicy, but it was worn down and buckled just a few hours before
\nthe first stage of the Assembly's general session concluded last
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
PPP also forced the Golkar-led coalition to stretch muscles
\nand accept the inclusion of nondenominational faiths in the
\nreligious affairs section of the policy guidelines, rather than
\nin the cultural affairs section like in the previous guidelines.<\/p>\n
This issue had been a thorn in the Moslem community's side,
\nand the resolution was welcomed by many Moslem leaders.<\/p>\n
In contrast, Golkar sponsored just one proposal which gives
\nthe next president extra power. As widely expected, the motion
\nreceived unanimous approval from the other four factions in the
\nAssembly.<\/p>\n
However, PPP legislator Muhammad Buang hailed the manner with
\nwhich the deliberation had proceeded, saying that on paper mighty
\nGolkar would not have broken into a sweat if it was forced to the
\nvote on every decision.<\/p>\n
\"How can the minority factions make a real difference? But the
\nuniqueness of our democracy is that a minority is equal with the
\nmajority,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A dejected PDI representative, Ismunandar, criticized the
\nAssembly's refusal to accommodate demands for changes to the
\ncountry's political format.<\/p>\n
\"There is little hope of change as long as a certain political
\norganization insists on winning a majority of votes in the
\ngeneral election.\"<\/p>\n
He was referring to Golkar, which won 74.5 percent of the
\nvotes in last year's polls. The victory earned it 325 seats in
\nthe House of Representatives and an additional 263 seats in the
\nAssembly.<\/p>\n
Each of the House's 500 members holds a seat in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Bachtiar Aly responded coolly to the outcome
\nof the Assembly's general session, saying that it in fact
\nrepresented the present government's will rather than that of the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\"Many public aspirations have been raised in support of
\nchange, but the Assembly is under the control of the executives
\nso it fails to heed the demands,\" Bachtiar, a member of Golkar
\nfaction's team of assistants, said.<\/p>\n
He blamed the Assembly's failure to inspire political change
\non the recruitment of the members of the highest law-making body.<\/p>\n
\"Closeness to certain figures, rather than quality, is more
\nlikely to earn a legislative candidate a House seat,\" Bachtiar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But Golkar legislator Rully Chairul Azwar refuted allegations
\nthat the ruling political group opposed political reform.<\/p>\n
\"We have repeatedly said that we want a gradual adjustment,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
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