House sidelines government on Papua autonomy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Disregarding its internal rules, the House of
\nRepresentatives has decided to deliberate the draft law on
\nspecial autonomy for Irian Jaya proposed by the provincial
\nlegislature.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, during a hearing with Irian Jaya
\ncouncillors on Thursday, said the House would always put the
\naspirations of the people above all else, particularly in matters
\nof regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
The draft from the Irian Jaya legislature was submitted to the
\nHouse in April, two months after a government-sponsored draft
\nreached the legislative body.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided to treat the government's proposal as
\nsupplementary material in our deliberations of the draft on
\nspecial autonomy for Irian Jaya. We will take the draft from the
\nlocal people and use it as our initiative bill,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
The internal rules of the House stipulate that deliberations
\nof bills must be based on the principle of \"first come, first
\nserved\".<\/p>\n
The President has been at loggerheads with the House for
\nalmost throughout his 19-month term. In response to the House's
\nsecond censure against him earlier this month, Abdurrahman
\nreminded the House of its neglected legislative duties.<\/p>\n
As with the Irian Jaya draft law, the House bypassed the
\ngovernment-sponsored draft law on special autonomy for Aceh in
\nfavor of a draft proposed by the provincial legislature.<\/p>\n
The government, whose draft reached the House before the draft
\nfrom Aceh, agreed to the House's decision, but pointed out that
\nit was a violation of the House's internal rules. The Aceh draft
\nlaw is currently being deliberated.<\/p>\n
Akbar said the House expected to hold its first hearing on the
\nIrian Jaya draft law sometime during the current session, which
\nends on July 23.<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly Decree No.4\/2000 ruled that
\nspecial autonomy laws for the two provinces should be in place
\nbefore May 1, 2001, a deadline the House failed to meet.<\/p>\n
The deputy chairman of House Commission II for legal and home
\naffairs, Hamdan Zoelva, who also attended the hearing with the
\nIrian Jaya councillors, asked for understanding if deliberations
\nof the draft were not completed by July 23.<\/p>\n
\"We will set a date for the deliberations as soon as possible,
\nbut we hope that people will understand that we may not be able
\nto finish the discussions as early as expected,\" Hamdan, who is
\nan Aceh native, said.<\/p>\n
The Irian Jaya councillors also asked the House to approve the
\nuse of Papua as the official name of the province.<\/p>\n
\"Papua means 'earth ruler' or 'small land from heaven', so we
\nare asking the House to let us use the name as was promised by
\nthe President,\" Irian Jaya councillor Ahmad Hakim said.<\/p>\n
In response, Akbar, who is also the chairman of the Golkar
\nParty, said the House always respected the people's aspirations
\nand it was possible the House would agree to the request.<\/p>\n
\"For us, Golkar Party, to use Papua as the name of the
\nprovince is not a problem,\" Akbar said, adding that it was also
\npossible to call the draft law the Papua Special Autonomy Bill.
\n(dja)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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