Assembly still undecided on crunching issues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly reached
\nagreement yesterday on minor economic issues but failed to solve
\nlong-standing bickerings on political and religious affairs, as
\nthe body resumed deliberation of the draft 1998\/2003 State Policy
\nGuidelines.<\/p>\n
The clauses on floating mass political policy, civil servants'
\nmonoloyalty toward Golkar, the questions of nondenominational
\nfaiths and human rights protection were left hanging in the
\nbalance as the team of 15 ended its session yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\"We have traded arguments on the issues many times since the
\nstart (of deliberations), but no compromise has been reached so
\nfar,\" said team member Muhammad Buang.<\/p>\n
\"I suggested the team end today's (yesterday) meeting earlier.
\nTo proceed with a full session would be a waste of time,\" Buang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the team agreed during the session to slash its
\nmembership to only eight to smooth the way to compromise. The
\nteam of eight takes over the deliberation starting today.<\/p>\n
The smaller group comprises chairman R. Hartono, deputy
\nchairman Susilo Bambang Yudoyono, secretary Eddy Waluyo and five
\nmembers representing the five factions in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The members are Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana of Golkar, Buang of
\nthe United Development Party (PPP), Soedarjanto of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI), Darmansyah Sabaruddin of the Armed Forces
\nand Ida Bagus Oka of the regional representatives.<\/p>\n
Buang said PPP and PDI maintained their demand that the
\nfloating mass policy be revoked. The policy had been blamed for
\npolitical parties' ineffectiveness as they were barred from
\nreaching subdistricts and villages.<\/p>\n
PPP and PDI also suggested the Assembly abolish the mandatory
\naffiliation of civil servants to the dominant Golkar.<\/p>\n
PPP was alone in urging the Assembly to exclude
\nnondenominational faiths from the religious affairs section and
\nto establish a separate decree on human rights.<\/p>\n
\"How can we ensure human rights protection if the policy
\nguidelines attach only two sentences on human rights?\" Buang
\nasked.<\/p>\n
Hartono said the Assembly team deliberating the policy
\nguidelines agreed yesterday to drop PDI's motion to regulate
\n\"modern bureaucracy\" as one of the development objectives.<\/p>\n
\"The motion did not receive any support,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Assembly's ad hoc committee in charge of non-state policy
\nguidelines dropped yesterday the PPP-sponsored draft on a
\ndemocratic economy and another draft on a clean government. The
\nlatter draft was supported by PDI.<\/p>\n
Committee chairman Wiranto said the decision was taken in
\nintensive lobbying among representatives of the five factions.
\nThe committee, instead, recommended that the substance of the
\nmotions go to the 1998\/2003 State Policy Guidelines.<\/p>\n
With yesterday's compromise, the committee has now endorsed 11
\nout of 14 draft decrees since it began deliberations on Oct. 27.<\/p>\n
It will start discussing PPP's and PDI's motions on human
\nrights today, followed next week by the deliberation of two
\ndrafts on political organization which was supported by the two
\nminority factions.<\/p>\n
After more than three weeks of debate, the committee has yet
\nto reach an agreement on drafts of general election rules
\nproposed by PPP and PDI. (amd)<\/p>",
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