Assembly slammed for prolonged session<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Observers criticized the newly installed members of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) Tuesday for costly delays in the
\nelection of Assembly leaders, which they said was a waste of
\npublic money for political gain.<\/p>\n
Members of the House of Representatives and the Regional
\nRepresentative Council (DPD), which make up the Assembly, have
\nbeen embroiled in a leadership struggle since they were sworn in
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
The House, which has 550 members, had insisted three of the
\nAssembly's four leaders should come from its members, while the
\nDPD, which had 128 members, wanted the leaders to come evenly
\nfrom the House and the DPD.<\/p>\n
The debate prompted temporary Assembly leaders to extend the
\nMPR session that was supposed to end on Sunday, spending some Rp
\n5 billion (US$550,000) a day in taxpayers' money.<\/p>\n
Assembly members finally agreed on Tuesday evening to split
\nthe leadership seats -- two for the House and two others for the
\nDPD. The Assembly will hold another meeting on Wednesday to elect
\nthe four MPR members.<\/p>\n
The decision meant a change to the Assembly standing orders.<\/p>\n
\"I think (the fractious Assembly session) should be about
\npower-sharing. They should work together for the interests of the
\npeople,\" constitutional law expert Harun Alrasyid told The
\nJakarta Post Tuesday.<\/p>\n
An activist from the House watchdog Formappi Sebastian Salang
\nsaid the plenary session was a wasteful power struggle.<\/p>\n
\"The legislators should understand that prolonging the meeting
\nwill only increase their expenses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Union of Muslim Students (KAMMI) criticized the
\nprolonged debate, saying Assembly members would better use the
\ntime to focus on the problems confronting the nation.<\/p>\n
The Assembly secretariat had originally scheduled the current
\nsession to close on Sunday, but Eddie Siregar, Assembly deputy
\nsecretary general, said on Tuesday his office had extended the
\nmeeting to end on Oct. 6.<\/p>\n
The office had allocated Rp 33.51 billion for three events --
\nthe annual Assembly session from Sept. 23 through Sept. 26, the
\nplenary session from Oct. 1 through Oct. 6 and for the
\ninauguration of the new president and vice president on Oct. 20,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Siregar said part of the money would be used to pay for the
\naccommodation of 128 DPD members who had not been given official
\nresidences.<\/p>\n
Eddie refused to specify the amount of daily expenses paid to
\nmembers during the Assembly plenary session.<\/p>\n
Budget for plenary sessions<\/p>\n
Items Amount<\/p>\n
Expenses of officials: stipend for 14,526,408,000
\nAssembly members and secretariat staff<\/p>\n
Expenditure for stationery, meals 6,339,170,000
\nand medical treatment<\/p>\n
Hotel accommodation 8,382,050,000<\/p>\n
Building maintenance 1,114,700,000<\/p>\n
Transport 3,150,672,000<\/p>\n
Total: Rp 33,513,000,000<\/p>\n
Source: Assembly secretariat<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/assembly-slammed-for-prolonged-session-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }