Constitutional Commission ends term<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Constitutional Commission marked the end of its seven-month
\nexistence on Thursday by submitting a white paper and draft
\namendments of the Constitution to the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) working commission.<\/p>\n
The document was accepted by Assembly speaker Amien Rais
\nduring a plenary meeting.<\/p>\n
Commission chairman Sri Soemantri said he hoped the next MPR
\nwould appreciate the hard work of the 31-strong commission.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that our thoughts and ideas will be adopted so as to
\nimprove the Constitution for the sake of improved state
\nadministration,\" Soemantri said emotionally.<\/p>\n
The 78-year-old constitutional law lecturer said his
\ncommission had done its best to accommodate suggestions from the
\npublic and ensure the enrichment of the Constitution, which
\nlawmakers have amended on a number of occasions over the past
\nfour years.<\/p>\n
One of the commission's contributions, Soemantri said, was a
\nproposal to give independent candidates the chance of running for
\nthe presidency.<\/p>\n
Under the current Constitution, only figures nominated by
\npolitical parties or groupings of parties that win at least 3
\npercent of legislative seats or 5 percent of the vote are
\neligible to put forward candidates in the presidential election.<\/p>\n
Regarding law-making power, Soemantri said that under the
\npresidential system only the legislature was authorized to make
\nlaws.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the President is granted the right to veto any
\nbills proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR). Should the
\npresident reject a bill, the lawmakers have to start the process
\nof deliberating the bill again.<\/p>\n
If the bill is then approved by two-thirds of House members,
\nthe President is required to sign the bill into law.<\/p>\n
Soemantri acknowledged there had been debate among commission
\nmembers over the articles on human rights. Some members said the
\narticles should be scrapped, but some others insisted on
\nmaintaining the human rights articles in the Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"Finally, we decided to retain the articles on human rights in
\nthe Constitution,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soemantri added that his commission had also advised that
\nfreedom of the press be incorporated into Article 28 of the
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, M. Asrun, one of the commission members, said
\nthat he rejected the final report of the commission and urged the
\nMPR to disregard it.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the press after receiving the commission's report,
\nMPR speaker Amien Rais said the Assembly members would neither
\nrevise nor criticize the draft.<\/p>\n
Amien added that the Assembly would hand over the
\nConstitutional Commission's report to the Assembly elected at the
\n5 April polls.<\/p>\n
The next MPR will consist of the House of Representatives and
\nRegional Representatives Council members.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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