Government ponders bill on Cabinet dissolution<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Reconfirming its refusal to deliberate the presidential bill put
\nforth by the House of Representatives, the government said on
\nMonday it would instead propose a bill on the formation and
\ndissolution of the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said
\nthe government would write to the House an official explanation
\non its stance over the presidential bill.<\/p>\n
Yusril said the government considered the Cabinet bill a top
\npriority, speaking after his meeting with House Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung, House Legislation Body (Baleg) chairman Zain Badjeber
\nand legislators Agustin Teras Narang and Ferry Mursyidan Baldan.<\/p>\n
Yusril, accompanied by State Secretary Bambang Kesowo and
\nState Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin, reiterated
\nthat most of the articles in the presidential bill were outdated.<\/p>\n
Teras and Ferry declined to comment on the matter.<\/p>\n
The House proposed the presidential bill to President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri in December 2001, but after two years, no minister
\nhas been appointed by the President to represent the government
\nin deliberating the bill with the House.<\/p>\n
Yusril said the presidential bill was prepared while the
\nconstitution was still undergoing revisions. The amendments
\nconcluded in August 2002.<\/p>\n
"We appreciate the House members for preparing the bill, any
\nway," he said.<\/p>\n
Regarding the Cabinet bill, Yusril said it deserved priority
\nas it was mandated by the amended constitution and was "more
\nuseful" than the presidential bill.<\/p>\n
The draft Cabinet bill stipulates that the President will only
\nappoint those Cabinet ministers who will help him or her conduct
\nstate duties.<\/p>\n
For example, Yusril said, the President would need the foreign
\nminister in maintaining international relations, the defense
\nminister in maintaining national security, the justice minister
\nin upholding the law and the coordinating minister of people's
\nwelfare in improving the well being of the people.<\/p>\n
"Of course, the president may reduce or increase the number of
\nministries. It depends on necessity," he said, adding that the
\nestablishment of the posts of state minister of state enterprises
\nor state minister of administrative reforms had been incidental.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-ponders-bill-on-cabinet-dissolution-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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