House accepts Gus Dur's date for interpellation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives agreed on Tuesday
\nto delay the closure of its in-session period to allow President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid to reply to an interpellation motion on July
\n20.<\/p>\n
The decision came after a two-hour debate in the House's
\nconsultative body presided over by House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo
\nSoerjogoeritno. The meeting was called after Abdurrahman told
\nHouse Speaker Akbar Tandjung last week he could only appear
\nbefore the House on July 20. The House had wanted the President
\nto appear on July 13.<\/p>\n
Soetardjo said the House would go to recess on July 24, three
\ndays later than originally scheduled.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur will come (to the House) on July 20 and the House
\nwill start its recess on July 24,\" Soetardjo said, referring to
\nthe President by his nickname.<\/p>\n
Soetardjo denied the House moved back the start of its recess
\nto accommodate Abdurrahman's schedule, saying there were many
\nimportant issues to deliberate and it would be impossible to
\nfinish the process by July 21.<\/p>\n
The remaining issues to be deliberated include the bill on tax
\nregulations and the selection of Supreme Court justices,
\naccording to Soetardjo, a legislator from the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
\"It is not because we want to conform with the President's
\nschedule. We have a lot of things to discuss, many issues,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the PDI Perjuangan faction in the House, Heri
\nAkhmadi, said the decision was not final because it required the
\nHouse speaker's approval.<\/p>\n
\"The House speaker should negotiate with the President to turn
\nup for the summons between July 15 and July 18 or so, but for the
\ntime being we can accept the July 20 schedule,\" Heri said.<\/p>\n
He underlined that the change in the date of the recess was a
\nresult of the House's tight agenda.<\/p>\n
A legislator from Golkar Party, Ade Komaruddin, said the House
\nspeaker would agree if legislators decided to go to recess before
\nJuly 20, but so far all of the factions in the House supported
\nthis date.<\/p>\n
A State Palace official said on Tuesday the President had
\narranged a visit to several regions in East Java and Central Java
\non July 13 and July 14, and a meeting with European ambassadors
\nand the association of provincial governments on July 17.<\/p>\n
\"The presidential agenda was arranged long before (the House
\nsummons). Some of the visits were fixed three months, two months
\nor a week ago, although sometimes the agenda is unplanned
\ndepending on the President's will,\" palace spokesman Wahyu
\nMuryadi said.<\/p>\n
He said the President had nothing on his agenda for July 20
\nother than appearing before the House.<\/p>\n
However, Abdurrahman continued to come under criticism for his
\nfailure to comply with the House's schedule for the
\ninterpellation motion.<\/p>\n
Surabaya-based political observer Aribowo said the President
\nshould respect the House's summons and make it his top priority.<\/p>\n
\"As a democrat, he (the President) must respect the summons,\"
\nthe Airlangga University lecturer said. \"It's not that important
\nto discuss the substance of the interpellation motion as the plan
\nhas in fact won support from the majority of the House,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also expected the President would not ask anybody to
\nrepresent him at the House session.<\/p>\n
Political communications observer Deddy Djamaludin Malik said
\nAbdurrahman's request to the House to reschedule his appearance
\nwas just a show of force on the President's part.<\/p>\n
He said the executive and the legislative branches were now
\nengaged in a cold war. According to him, the President might feel
\nuneasy with the House and the People's Consultative Assembly,
\nwhich were trying to exercise their rights to control the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
\"In this way, Gus Dur should have agreed to meet with the
\nHouse on July 13,\" he said.(nur\/25\/sur\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-accepts-gus-durs-date-for-interpellation-1447893297",
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