E. Java legislators under fire for planned trip<\/p>\n
Ainur R. Sophiaan
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nSurabaya<\/p>\n
The East Java provincial legislative council apparently will go
\nahead with planned overseas trips this month despite the threat
\nof sanction by political parties.<\/p>\n
Some 35 members of the provincial legislature's Commission B
\non economic affairs and Commission E on social affairs are
\npreparing for trips to several possible European countries,
\nincluding France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The
\npurpose of the trips is to carry out comparative studies.<\/p>\n
Busy with their numerous legislative tasks at home, the two
\ncommissions have yet to decide which countries they will be
\nvisiting for their studies.<\/p>\n
"The leadership of the legislature has instructed the two
\ncommissions to determine their destination countries, what fields
\nthey will study and how the programs will benefit the people of
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
"It is impossible for the legislature to cancel the trips
\nbecause they have already been included in the 2002 budget,"
\nBisjroe Andul Jalil, chairman of the provincial legislative
\ncouncil, said here on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
The legislature has allocated Rp 2 billion to finance
\ncomparative studies for 100 legislators in the 2002 fiscal year.<\/p>\n
The 35 legislators, each of whom will receive Rp 20 million to
\nfinance their overseas travel, have invited several travel
\nagencies and ambassadors to meet with them and share ideas on the
\nplanned trip.<\/p>\n
However, Dja'far Shodiq, a legislator from the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), said it was better for his Commission E to
\nvisit Malaysia to tour that country's detention camps, where many
\nillegal Indonesian workers have been detained.<\/p>\n
"Such a visit would have significance, instead of visiting
\nEuropean countries," he said.<\/p>\n
The provincial legislature is currently involved in several
\nimportant tasks, including the deliberation of East Java Governor
\nImam Utomo's accountability for the implementation of the 2001
\nbudget, the supervision of the Surabaya-Madura bridge project and
\nthe supervision of the troubled agribusiness market project in
\nSidoarjo.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
\nthe National Awakening Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nhave banned legislators from their parties from taking part in
\nthe trips, threatening to impose sanctions if they ignored the
\nban.<\/p>\n
PAN also has threatened to its four legislators on the two
\ncommissions from the legislature should they take part in the
\noverseas trip.<\/p>\n
"We can understand the aims of comparative studies, but so far
\nwe cannot see any advantages from the several comparative studies
\nthe legislature has conducted both at home and overseas.
\nMeanwhile, thousands of victims of the recent disasters that hit
\nthe province are in need of humanitarian aid," he said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
In 2000, the legislature came under fire for a comparative
\nstudy it conducted in Batam, Riau, with many of the legislators
\ntaking the opportunity to visit Singapore.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-java-legislators-under-fire-for-planned-trip-1447899208",
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