House ruling on dual role proposed to avoid rifts<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A legal expert on Saturday urged legislators deliberating a bill
\non politics and the general elections to include an article
\nprohibiting members of political parties from holding public
\noffice at the same time.<\/p>\n
Such a ban was badly needed, as a dual role would only cause
\nlosses to the public because, in most cases, it would be hard for
\npoliticians to avoid conflicts of interest said Satya Arinanto, a
\nlaw lecturer at the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The principle of meritocracy, for example, was currently being
\ndenied within the life of the bureaucracy, thereby keeping the
\npublic from getting the best, most honest and effective public
\nservants, said Satya.<\/p>\n
"Currently, there is a common practice by which the
\npoliticians are competing to include their colleagues from their
\nown parties to serve in public office -- even including in the
\nsecond-tier echelons of the bureaucracy," Satya said in a weekend
\ndiscussion on good governance here.<\/p>\n
The presence of the politicians in some levels of bureaucracy
\nis dangerous, she added, since they are prone to abusing the
\npower for the sake of their party's interests.<\/p>\n
The bureaucracy also increasingly becomes ineffective,
\nespecially if the politicians have no skills at all in public
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Therefore, in a bid to pursue an honest and effective
\nbureaucracy and avoid bigger losses, the legislators must work
\nout a regulation to ban such a dual role.<\/p>\n
"The legislators can include an article on the banning of the
\ndual role in the bill on politics and general election, currently
\nbeing deliberated at the House," he said.<\/p>\n
The dual role issue came to the surface recently after the
\nchairman of the National Resilience Institution (Lemhannas),
\nErmaya, criticized the politicians for concurrently holding
\nchairmanship posts at public offices.<\/p>\n
According to Ermaya, besides the conflict of interests, the
\ndual role would make politicians unable to focus on their public
\njobs.<\/p>\n
So far, many top politicians are holding such dual roles.<\/p>\n
They include President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the
\nchair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan), Vuce President Hamzah Haz, who leads the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the Minister of
\nJustice and Human Rights who is also the chairman of the Crescent
\nStar Party (PBB), chairman of Indonesian National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) Amien Rais who is also the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) speaker and House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar
\nParty chairman Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
Despite the call, however, another speaker at the seminar,
\nM.S. Ka'ban, confirmed that Yusril would not resign from his
\nposition as the chairman of his party.<\/p>\n
"So far, there is no discussion yet within our party,
\nconcerning the issue," said Ka'ban, who is also the secretary-
\ngeneral of PBB.<\/p>\n
Ka'ban argued that the dual role would not bring losses to the
\npeople, since during the current reform and transparency era, the
\nexisting system could easily prevent politicians from abusing
\npower for their own interests.<\/p>\n
"Should politicians abuse their power for party interests, the
\nmedia will closely scrutinize them, so the party will not get as
\nmany votes in the next election," Ka'ban said.<\/p>\n
Separately, PAN secretary-general Hatta Rajasa said he
\npersonally suggested that Amien Rais keep his post in the party.<\/p>\n
"I object to Pak Amien's wish to resign as party leader
\nbecause we are still badly in need of him. I am not the only
\nparty member who is against his plan," said Hatta, who is also
\nthe State Minister for Research and Technology\/Chairman of the
\nAgency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).<\/p>\n
PAN executives delayed until next week the deliberation of
\nAmien's plan to quit the party and focus on the legislative jobs.<\/p>",
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