House keeps on working during recess<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite being officially in recess from March 8 through March 25,
\nthe House of Representatives will keep on working to speed up the
\ndeliberation of the bill on presidential elections, and the bill
\non the composition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),
\nthe House and the provincial, regency and municipality
\nlegislatures.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Farhan Hamid, a member of the House special committee
\ndeliberating the presidential elections bill, said that the
\ncommittee was expected to resume the deliberation of the bill
\nnext week, and the process was scheduled to continue until March
\n24.<\/p>\n
\"We will hear the government's explanations on the
\npresidential elections bill,\" Farhan, of the Reform faction, told
\nreporters here on Monday.<\/p>\n
Earlier, committee chairman Agustin Teras Narang, of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said
\nthat the plan to work through the recess had been agreed upon by
\nall nine factions on the special committee.<\/p>\n
Although the recess lasts for 35 days, the special committee
\nwill actually only spend about eight days deliberating the bill,
\nnot nearly enough to finish its work.<\/p>\n
After hearing explanations from the home affairs minister on
\nMarch 24, the House factions will present their views and
\nsuggestions on March 26.<\/p>\n
The House special committee deliberating the bill on the
\ncomposition of the legislative bodies also plans to work through
\nthe recess, but committee chairman Yahya Zaini, of the Golkar
\nfaction, was not available for further comment.<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) has called on the House
\nto speed up the deliberation of the two bills so that it will
\nhave adequate time to draft schedules for the general and
\npresidential elections, and make the necessary preparations.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung promised that legislators would
\ncomplete work on the bills during the next session from April 28
\nto June 27.<\/p>\n
The legislators' plan to work through recess will mean more
\nexpense for the House secretariat. Legislators receive an
\nallowance of Rp 750,000 per day of attendance regardless of how
\nlong it takes for work on a bill to be completed.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, legislators also receive bonuses ranging from Rp
\n250,000 to Rp 500,000 for deliberation of a bill, according to a
\nreliable source.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the deliberation of the bill on presidential
\nelections will likely be dominated by debates on the requirements
\ndemanded of presidential and vice presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
The Reform faction has suggested that presidential candidates
\nmust be at least university graduates while many other factions
\nsupport the government's proposal that a presidential candidate
\nshould possess at least a senior high school certificate.<\/p>\n
\"There is no guarantee that a candidate with a university
\neducation will not violate the law. Of the utmost importance is
\nthat a presidential candidate is wise,\" said PDI Perjuangan
\nlegislator Firman Jaya Daeli here on Monday.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who chairs the PDI
\nPerjuangan, is not a university graduate.<\/p>\n
Firman said it was more important to specifically bar those
\nofficially declared as suspects and those convicted of crimes
\nfrom running in presidential elections.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on Article 6 of the bill on presidential and
\nvice presidential elections, which sets out the requirements for
\npresidential and vice presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
The bill submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs stipulates
\nthat candidates must be at least senior high school graduates.<\/p>",
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