East Timor representation questioned<\/p>\n
Alex Wilson and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives' decision to retain four legislators
\nrepresenting East Timor has raised eyebrows as the former
\nPortuguese colony no longer has any official connection to
\nIndonesia let alone the need for political representation.<\/p>\n
Skepticism is running high as to whether their existence in
\nthe legislative body is still relevant since East Timor has been
\nindependent of Indonesian control since September 1999.<\/p>\n
Political analyst of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
\n(LIPI) Hermawan Sulistyo suggested that the four seats held by
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and
\nGolkar be abolished immediately.<\/p>\n
The four legislators, who were all elected during the general
\nelections in June 1999, are Setya Novanto and Natercia Do Menino
\nJesus Osorio Soares of Golkar and Ronny B.S. Hutagaol and Rekso
\nAgeng Herman of PDI Perjuangan. Only Natercia was actually born
\nin East Timor.<\/p>\n
Hermawan said the four legislators should leave the House as
\nthe territory they represented was no longer a part of the
\nRepublic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I do believe that the seats should be abolished now. They
\ndon't have the constituents over there any more. Times change,
\nsituations change, and they just can't keep seats like that,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
A chairman of Golkar, Slamet Effendi Yusuf, confirmed the four
\nlegislators would retain their seats until 2004, but said they
\nnow represented the people of East Nusa Tenggara, a province
\nwhich borders East Timor.<\/p>\n
He said that many East Timorese who had wanted to remain part
\nof Indonesia moved to East Nusa Tenggara and the legislators were
\nnow \"representing\" them.<\/p>\n
\"They represent the people, not the region,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Hermawan rejected this explanation, claiming it was
\nridiculous. \"You can't move from representing the people of South
\nSumatra and say my constituents have moved to East Java, now I
\nrepresent East Java,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Before steps could be taken toward the elimination of the four
\nseats, he said, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) needed
\nto abolish the decree on East Timor, thereby endorsing the
\nresults of the UN-administered ballot in 1999.<\/p>\n
Senior politician of PDI Perjuangan Sabam Sirait brushed off
\nthe skepticism, saying that the four legislators had the legal
\nbasis to work until 2004.<\/p>\n
\"There has been a presidential decree (on their membership),
\nthey have been inaugurated, and they have worked. Their term is
\nbetween 1999 and 2004,\" Sabam told the Post.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung,
\nmeanwhile, said the four seats could not be abolished as
\nregulations required the House to have 500 members and no
\nguidelines existed to deal with the current situation.<\/p>\n
He said the four members had not just been elected to
\nrepresent a province. \"They represent the people of the Republic
\nof Indonesia, not just East Timor,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Each legislator receives Rp 12.5 million per month in
\ntaxpayers' money. If the election in 2004 is scheduled to take
\nplace in June, there will be 30 months left for legislators to
\nenjoy facilities at the House.<\/p>\n
The cost of keeping them in the House until the 2004 election
\nwill be approximately Rp 1.5 billion.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-representation-questioned-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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