Dumped lawmakers 'may abuse power'<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With most members of the House of Representatives' finance
\ncommission seeing no chance of reelection, there are fears they
\nwill use their remaining sitting period to demand bribes.<\/p>\n
Reports from the General Elections Commission (KPU) indicate
\nmore than half of the 55 members of the Commission IX on finance
\nhave a little or no chance of being reelected. They are either
\nnot proposed as legislative candidates by their own parties or
\nhave been put low down on their party lists.<\/p>\n
The legislative election will be held on April 5, and new
\nlegislators will assume their posts in October. The House, now in
\nrecess, will sit again from May to October.<\/p>\n
Economic and political analyst Ichsanuddin Noorsy said the
\nlegislators who fail in the incoming elections, would be likely
\nto take bribes as they would feel their careers were over.<\/p>\n
\"These legislators will think that their remaining sitting
\nperiod is their last chance to rake in as much money as they can,
\nbecause there will be no second chances later on, and they have
\nnothing to lose,\" he said over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Ichsanuddin, a former legislator from the Golkar Party, said
\nthe legislators should be prevented from being involved in
\napproving policies proposed by the government during their
\nremaining sitting period, given the bribery risk.<\/p>\n
The policies should be approved by the new legislators
\ninstead, he said.<\/p>\n
High on the Commission IX's agenda in the remaining sitting
\nperiod is the selection of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) head
\nand board members.<\/p>\n
The commission has decided to proceed with the selection after
\nthe general election and will finish it before the presidential
\nelection on July 5. It insisted it would proceed despite protests
\nfrom several non-governmental organizations, which urged the
\nselection should be done by the new legislators.<\/p>\n
The BPK has a crucial task of examining the implementation of
\nthe state budget and the financial reports of state institutions,
\nincluding state-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n
Other strategic government policies waiting to be approved by
\nthe commission are the sale of government shares in several
\nstate-owned companies, such as a 30 percent stake in scandal-
\nridden Bank Negara Indonesia, and the privatization of PT Merpati
\nAirlines, finance company PT Danareksa Persero and airport
\noperator PT Angkasa Pura I. The government and the legislators
\nare also scheduled to approve the selection of the senior deputy
\ngovernor for the Central Bank.<\/p>\n
Economist Drajad Wibowo said the government might manipulate
\nthe frustrated legislators in order to win easy approval for its
\npolicies during the House sitting period.<\/p>\n
\"The May to October period could prove the most hazardous time
\nfor the country's economy, because several legislators, who are
\nobviously frustrated, will become easy targets for bribes by
\ngovernment officials,\" Drajad said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dumped-lawmakers-may-abuse-power-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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