House admits agenda in certain laws<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In commemorating its 58th anniversary, the much-criticized House
\nof Representatives admitted favoring certain political parties'
\nagendas, instead of the people's, in several legislations it has
\nmade.<\/p>\n
But it defended the political agenda, saying that the House is
\na political institution and legislators are obliged to fight for
\ntheir own constituents.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said it was impossible for
\nfactions and legislators to put aside their political interests
\nin deliberating certain bills.<\/p>\n
"But it is wrong to presume that factions and legislators
\nfight for their political parties's interests before national
\ninterests," he said in a plenary meeting to mark the House's 58th
\nanniversary here on Friday.<\/p>\n
He added that both the legislative body and the government
\nhave been trying their best to fight for the interests of the
\nmajority of people.<\/p>\n
The House has been under fire for its bad performance.<\/p>\n
It destroyed its own credibility with Akbar's refusal to step
\ndown following the verdict of the Central Jakarta District Court,
\nwhich sentenced him three years imprisonment for involvement in a
\nRp 40 billion graft case.<\/p>\n
Besides reaching only around 30 percent of its legislative
\ntargets, it has frequently been criticized for ignoring national
\ninterests in deliberating certain strategic bills.<\/p>\n
In particular, The House was fiercely criticized for the
\nendorsement of the controversial bills on the national education
\nsystem and on direct presidential elections.<\/p>\n
It has also been criticized as many legislators have allegedly
\ntaken bribes in deliberating certain bills and the draft state
\nbudgets.<\/p>\n
Akbar, also chairman of Golkar Party, the political engine of
\nformer president Soeharto's 32-year repressive regime, admitted
\n"minor mistakes" in endorsing the contentious bill on the
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
"Despite political hurdles, it is not good for the public to
\nremain skeptical of state institutions, including the legislative
\nbody, and such an attitude is positive in developing democracy,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The presidential election law has been criticized because
\ncertain major parties' political interests have dominated its
\ncontent, especially concerning formal requirements for
\npresidential candidates and on the naming of candidates.<\/p>\n
Particularly, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) and Golkar succeeded to insert their political
\ninterests in the law.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri would not be eligible to run
\nin the 2004 presidential election if the law required
\npresidential candidates to be university graduates, while Akbar
\nwould not be eligible if presidential candidates were required to
\nbe clean of jail sentences.<\/p>\n
Minor political parties have also criticized the law, that
\nregulates that only parties winning at least five percent of the
\ntotal votes or three percent of seats in the House are allowed to
\nname their own presidential candidates.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-admits-agenda-in-certain-laws-1447893297",
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