Commission on Constitution possible: MPR<\/p>\n
Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the growing public demand for an independent
\ncommission on the Constitution, Ad Hoc Committee II of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has decided to exclude the
\nissue from the agenda of the upcoming MPR Annual Session, due to
\nstart on Nov. 1, 2001.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the independent commission on the Constitution
\nissue can still be taken up during the annual meeting, provided
\nthat one or two MPR factions request it.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, we are still open to adopting public input on the
\nindependent constitutional commission,\" Rambe Kamarulzaman, the
\nhead of Ad Hoc Committee II, told a media briefing on Monday.<\/p>\n
Ad Hoc Committee II, in charge of preparing the MPR decree
\ndrafts to be endorsed during the Annual Session, has prepared
\nfive MPR decree drafts.<\/p>\n
The five drafts include those on the MPR's in-house rules and
\nproceedings; national ethics; a vision of the future of Indonesia
\nand the 2020 vision; the eradication and prevention of
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism; and land reform and natural
\nresources management.<\/p>\n
Rambe said the committee decided to exclude the issue of an
\nindependent constitutional commission since only the Assembly has
\nthe authority to amend the country's Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"We don't see any urgency or relevance of forming an
\nindependent constitutional commission. If the commission's task
\nis just to assist us in amending the Constitution, then what's
\nthe difference with the job of the expert team already on the
\ncommittee,\" Rambe told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a
\nsession between the Assembly and the editors' club.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
\nand legal experts submitted a proposal to the MPR to form an
\nindependent constitutional commission to amend the country's
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
The NGOs and legal experts feared that the absolute right to
\namend the Constitution that is granted to the Assembly may be
\nprone to manipulation by political parties in the Assembly for
\ntheir own interests.<\/p>\n
The proposal first received a positive response from the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) and Golkar Party in September. Later Golkar revoked
\nits support for the commission.<\/p>\n
Rambe said if the MPR agreed to establish the commission, the
\nAssembly would have to revoke Decree No. 9\/2000, which grants the
\nAssembly's working committee to prepare the amendment of the
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
Haidar Gumay, an advocacy director of the Center for Electoral
\nReform (CETRO), lamented the Assembly's decision to exclude the
\nissue of an independent commission on the Constitution from the
\nagenda, saying lawmakers had played around with their own
\npromises and fooled the public.<\/p>\n
\"They agreed to include the constitutional commission issue in
\nthe Annual Session, but now they have dropped their own plan,
\neffectively eliminating public trust in them,\" Haidar told the
\nPost on Monday.<\/p>\n
Haidar said Assembly members misinterpreted the NGOs' demand.<\/p>\n
The constitutional commission will surely differ from the Ad
\nHoc Committee II's expert team, as the commission will have wide-
\nranging authority in drafting the amendment, Haidar said. After
\nbeing prepared by the commission, the Assembly should only reject
\nor accept the draft amendment without any changes, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The people don't have a vested interest. What the public want
\nis a process that allows them to participate in the
\nconstitutional amendment process,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/commission-on-constitution-possible-mpr-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}