House members nearly brawl over Cemex case<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Lawmakers nearly got into a brawl on Thursday after failing to
\nagree on a plan to disclose alleged irregularities in the
\nsettlement process of a dispute between the government and
\nMexican cement giant Cemex SA involving a broken contract with a
\nstate-owned company.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred during a hearing between members of the
\nHouse of Representatives' Commission VI with State Minister of
\nState Enterprises Sugiharto to discuss issues related with the
\ndevelopment of state enterprises.<\/p>\n
The Commission oversees industry, trade and state enterprises.<\/p>\n
The heated quarreling started when House member Azam Azman
\nNatawijana planned to make public his self-proclaimed findings
\nover irregularities involving state officials who have been
\ntrying to settle the government's dispute with Cemex.<\/p>\n
According to Azam, a lawmaker from the Democrat Party, the
\nirregularities should be disclosed publicly as they could have
\ncaused losses to the state.<\/p>\n
\"I have here some documents and reports of irregularities in
\nthe government's options (offered) to Cemex as part of efforts to
\nend the protracted dispute without going to court. The public
\nneeds to know this,\" said Azam.<\/p>\n
However, before Azam had a chance to read out the findings,
\nFahri Hamzah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) interrupted
\nand shouted at his fellow House member and demanded the findings
\nnot be made public. Fachri argued that it would jeopardize the
\nongoing settlement process.<\/p>\n
\"As we have agreed earlier, such detailed findings should be
\ndiscussed only in closed-door meetings. The public should not
\nknow it before the government and Cemex finally reach an
\nagreement to end their dispute,\" said Hamzah.<\/p>\n
Fahri's arguments, however, prompted other House members to
\njoin in the quarrel, and accused the PKS member of involvement in
\nthe irregularities.<\/p>\n
\"Fahri is trying to protect corrupt state officials. The
\nirregularities should be made public. We should be suspicious
\nover his sudden rejection,\" said Epyardi Asda of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Angered by the accusations, Fahri began screaming at Epyardi,
\nwhich was followed by a full-fledged cacophony of shouting and
\nscreaming by fellow faction members. \"You should shut your mouth
\nonce and for all,\" Fahri bellowed.<\/p>\n
The hearing erupted into chaos. The rancorous shouting and
\nquarreling lasted about 15 minutes and seemed on the verge of
\nfull-scale barroom brawl before the Commission's deputy chairman,
\nAde Komaruddin, finally was able to restore a semblance of order
\nby getting his colleagues to sit down and stop shouting.<\/p>\n
As the meeting continued the commission members agreed to
\ndisclose the findings during a closed-door special session next
\nweek.<\/p>\n
The Cemex-government dispute arose when the government failed
\nto fulfill its side of an investment contract signed in 1998.
\nUnder the deal, Cemex was to acquire majority control in state
\ncement producer PT Semen Gresik, but its West Sumatra subsidiary
\nPT Semen Padang staunchly opposed the arrangement and managed to
\nthwart the deal.<\/p>\n
Cemex later filed a lawsuit at the International Center for
\nthe Settlement of Investment Disputes, but that was put on hold
\nafter Indonesia convinced Cemex that it was serious about an out-
\nof-court settlement.<\/p>\n
The government has come up with some settlement options,
\nhowever, a number of politicians, along with Semen Gresik's labor
\nunion spokespeople have expressed deep opposition over those
\noptions, apparently, as they claim, due to fears that foreigners
\nwould have too much control over the nation's cement industry.<\/p>",
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