DPA members resign en masse<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
All 45 members of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) announced
\ntheir resignation on Thursday, finally closing the history-book
\non the state institution.<\/p>\n
But the DPA Chairman, Achmad Tirtosudiro, refused to call it a
\ndissolution of the council.<\/p>\n
"This is not a dissolution of DPA, it is just the mass
\nresignation of DPA members," he said. "DPA will not be disbanded
\nuntil a law on the institution's dissolution comes into force."<\/p>\n
From a legal point of view the supervisory body no longer
\nexisted when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) gave DPA
\nthe axe as part of the fourth constitutional amendment in August
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Recently the MPR asked the head of state to issue a decree
\nformally dismissing DPA members.<\/p>\n
Achmad claimed that the DPA could only be disbanded via a
\ndecree from the MPR and a law mandated by MPR Decree No VI\/2002,
\nwhich orders the President and the House of Representatives to
\nissue a law on DPA dissolution.<\/p>\n
Achmad said DPA had been waiting for the law since August last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
According to the Presidential Decree No. 140\/M\/1998 DPA
\nmembers should only have served until June 11 this year.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat is drafting a decree on the retirement
\nof DPA members.<\/p>\n
"The State Secretary, acting on behalf of the President,
\nverbally asked us to stop working," Achmad said.<\/p>\n
Achmad said he had discussed the fate of the 200 employees of
\nthe DPA with the Minister of Administrative Reform, the State
\nSecretary and the National Employee Body.<\/p>\n
"They will be moved to other state institutions," he said.<\/p>\n
Thousands of state employees were transferred to provincial
\ninstitutions following the imposition of regional autonomy in
\n2001.<\/p>\n
Political observers have criticized the DPA for its
\ninsignificance over the past few years. According to the 1945
\nConstitution, the council was intended to act as advisors to the
\npresident, either on their own initiative or when asked. However,
\nin practice, few people have seen the council fulfill its duties.<\/p>\n
Under the New Order, the council was seen to be the final
\nresting ground of former high-ranking officials and only a burden
\nto the cash-strapped government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dpa-members-resign-en-masse-1447893297",
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