House has to pass 25 draft laws in 18 weeks<\/p>\n
By Sugianto Tandra<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Last Thursday, the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) passed a draft law limiting monopolistic business
\npractices, the first initiative of the House in decades.<\/p>\n
However, legislators will find the next 18 weeks to be their
\nbusiest ever, as they still have a total of 25 draft laws to
\ndeliberate.<\/p>\n
But will they sacrifice substance to meet the target?<\/p>\n
\"It will depend on the discussion techniques (during the
\ndeliberations). Not making a mountain out of a molehill with
\nunsubstantial matters, for instance... We'll invite experts to
\ngive their insights,\" Hari Sabarno, deputy speaker of the House
\nof Representatives (DPR), said.<\/p>\n
Hari admitted that an 11-member faction like the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) would find it hard to keep up with the
\nbill deliberations, as the House is determined to work day and
\nnight to finish them.<\/p>\n
One of the major decrees from November's general session of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly, of which the legislators are
\nmembers, was to do away with all forms of collusion, corruption
\nand nepotism. The antimonopoly bill is a result of this decree.<\/p>\n
Hari, who is an active Army lieutenant general and member of
\nthe ABRI faction in the DPR, said all concerned members of the
\npublic are not only urged to give their input, \"but obliged\" to
\nas citizens of the country.<\/p>\n
Hari said incumbent legislators have until Aug. 29 to
\ndeliberate the bills before the next House members elected in the
\nJune 7 polls take over their seats.<\/p>\n
The current DPR has six months left, minus the recess of one
\nand a half months for the elections from April 17 until June 14.
\nSo four and a half months remain for bill deliberations.<\/p>\n
Earlier, cabinet deputy secretary Erman Radjagukguk showed
\noptimism in the effectiveness of the new laws despite the tight
\nschedule. He said there were a number of laws which had been in
\npreparation since four years ago.<\/p>\n
Some of the laws being deliberated by the 500 House members
\nare said to be the initiative of the House itself -- for
\ninstance, the bill on consumer protection and that on the
\nadministration of haj pilgrimages.<\/p>\n
The draft legislation covers the following issues:<\/p>\n
* consumer protection<\/p>\n
* the central bank<\/p>\n
* foreign exchange traffic and bill rate system<\/p>\n
* 1999\/2000 state budget<\/p>\n
* administration of the haj pilgrimage<\/p>\n
* measures to prevent corruption, collusion and nepotism<\/p>\n
* regional administration<\/p>\n
* fiscal balance between the central and regional governments<\/p>\n
* eradication of corrupt practices<\/p>\n
* human rights and the National Commission on Human Rights<\/p>\n
* foreign affairs<\/p>\n
* oil and natural gas<\/p>\n
* construction services<\/p>\n
* amendments of the Criminal Code concerning crimes against the
\nstate<\/p>\n
* ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination
\nof Racial Discrimination, 1965<\/p>\n
* arbitration of and alternative choices to dispute settlements<\/p>\n
* revocation of the referendum law<\/p>\n
* revocation of Law No. 11\/1963 on subversion<\/p>\n
Seven other draft laws concern the changing of status of seven
\nregions to regencies or mayoralties: Sambas in West Kalimantan,
\nCilegon and Depok in West Java, Dumai and Batam in Riau, Ternate
\nin Maluku and Luwu in Central Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Hari said that, as time is limited, the deliberations would be
\nprioritized.<\/p>\n
At least nine draft laws could see short deliberations due to
\ntheir brevity, he said.<\/p>\n
Last on the priority list were the draft laws on natural gas
\nand construction services.<\/p>\n
The draft laws on arbitration and alternative choices to the
\nsettlement of disputes -- which is sponsored by the International
\nMonetary Fund -- and on the ratification of the
\nantidiscrimination convention, were others which legislators were
\nexpected to pass without much trouble, Hari said.<\/p>\n
He said more lengthy deliberation was expected on the 12 other
\ndrafts. They would be investigated by special commissions, with
\nlegislators ready to work for more than 12 hours a day, Hari
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Legislators will be paid between Rp 500,000 (US$60) to Rp
\n700,000 each for each bill in which they are involved.<\/p>\n
Apart from the House building in Central Jakarta, Hari said
\nthe DPR was considering letting two special committees make use
\nof its facility in Cisarua in the Puncak mountain resort area of
\nWest Java to deliberate the bills.<\/p>\n
Public hearings on the bills, however, would be a priority, he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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