Can legislators evaluate their own performances?<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A political observer considered it strange and
\nparadoxical that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), a
\nmajority of whom are members of the House of Representatives
\n(DPR), will have to evaluate the House's progress report in next
\nweek's first Annual Session.<\/p>\n
Samsuddin Harris from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
\n(LIPI) said that although the House is subordinate to the
\nAssembly and both have their own functions, it would be
\npsychologically impossible for the Assembly to evaluate the House
\nand make objective corrections because 500 of the Assembly's 700
\nmembers were also MPR members.<\/p>\n
\"This means MPR members will evaluate their own performance,\"
\nhe said in a discussion on the MPR Annual Session's agenda here
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
One of the Assembly's main agendas during the session is to
\nevaluate the progress report from the government, State Audit
\nAgency, Supreme Advisory Council, Supreme Court and the House.<\/p>\n
According to Samsuddin, the House should make its annual
\nprogress report to the people who elected them in the last
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
This can be done, he said, with the help of the mass media.<\/p>\n
\"The people, legislators' constituents, can then present their
\nevaluation through the general election and they will certainly
\ncast their votes to parties who they feel absorbed their
\npolitical aspirations,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Several legislators dismissed Samsuddin's analysis, saying
\nthat apart from the 500 House members there were also 200
\nregional representatives and the interest group faction in the
\nAssembly which can play a key role in the evaluation.<\/p>\n
Heri Achmadi, secretary of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, said the presence of these
\nother 200 members is expected to give a special color to the
\nAssembly's proceedings.<\/p>\n
Yahya Zaini of the Golkar Party faction said political
\nobservers should not think too negatively of the House because
\nthe present legislature is quite different from those in the
\npast.<\/p>\n
Alfi Achmad of the Reform faction concurred and said it was
\nthe first time the Assembly would hold an Annual Session.<\/p>\n
\"Let the Assembly hold the annual meeting according to the
\nagenda because we are learning the process of democracy,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The three legislators also said their factions at the Assembly
\nhad no objections to the 164 regional representatives' plan to
\nestablish their own faction to channel regional aspirations in
\nthe Annual Session.<\/p>\n
Committee<\/p>\n
In a separate development the National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nfaction rejected during a meeting on Wednesday the Assembly's
\nWorking Committee decision to bring the controversial draft
\ndecree on a review of its internal rulings to the Annual Session,
\nsaying the draft decree has yet to be deliberated by the Ad Hoc
\nCommittee.<\/p>\n
A. Choliq Achmad, secretary of the PKB faction said the
\nWorking Committee was discriminative and inconsistent as it
\nturned down another draft decree proposed by the regional
\nrepresentatives in their efforts to establish their own faction.<\/p>\n
The Working Committee in the Plenary Session on Wednesday
\naccepted a decree proposed by 27 legislators, suggesting that the
\nAssembly's Annual Session not only listen to the government
\nprogress report but also evaluate it.<\/p>\n
Assembly speaker Amien Rais who presided over the session on
\nWednesday said: \"For democratic reasons, the PKB faction will
\nstill have a chance to reject the draft decree in the Annual
\nSession.\"<\/p>\n
The draft decree also allows the Annual Session to recommend a
\nSpecial Session to ask for an accountability speech from the
\npresident. If the draft decree is endorsed the Assembly could
\nhold a Special Session to impeach the president if he is found to
\nhave violated the constitution, state policy outlines and the
\nlaw. (rms\/jun)<\/p>",
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