Information ministry to be upgraded<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued a presidential
\ndecree to upgrade the Office of the State Minister for
\nCommunications and Information into a portfolio ministry that
\nwill also be given responsibility for posts and
\ntelecommunications.<\/p>\n
The decree will allow the new ministry to establish offices in
\nthe country's 33 provinces.<\/p>\n
Cabinet deputy secretary Erman Radjagukguk told The Jakarta
\nPost on Tuesday that the decree, signed late on Monday, gave the
\npower to the President to transfer the posts and
\ntelecommunications directorate general from the Ministry of
\nTransportation to the new ministry.<\/p>\n
The President also issued another decree to provide a legal
\nbasis for the already established Ministry of Public Housing --
\nwhich in the previous Cabinet under president Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri came under the auspices of the Ministry of
\nSettlement and Regional Infrastructure -- and the revival of the
\nOffice of the State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs -- by
\nremoving the sports directorate general from the Ministry of
\nNational Education as it existed in the previous administration.<\/p>\n
The decree also provides for the splitting up of the Ministry
\nof Industry and Trade into two ministries.<\/p>\n
The above changes, except for the new ministry, actually came
\ninto effect when Susilo announced the line-up of his Cabinet on
\nOct. 21, 2004, even though a legal basis is only being provided
\nnow.<\/p>\n
Both presidential decrees, however, appear to contradict
\nArticle 17 (4) of the 1945 Constitution, which stipulates that
\nthe establishment of, change in or dissolution of a Cabinet
\nministry must be provided for by law.<\/p>\n
The stipulation allows the House to intervene in the
\nestablishment of ministries, despite the fact that Indonesia
\nadheres to the presidential system of government.<\/p>\n
\"I can assure you that we (the government) have not
\ncontradicted any regulations, especially the Constitution,\" Erman
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
His statement was supported by Constitutional Law expert Sri
\nSoemantri of Padjadjaran University who pointed out that the
\nHouse could not claim a right to interfere in the establishment
\nof the new ministry as there was no specific legislation
\ngoverning the matter.<\/p>\n
\"The ministry's establishment is not against the Constitution
\nas the House has yet to finish its deliberation on the
\nministerial offices,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
The House postponed the deliberation of the ministerial
\noffices bill last July due to a difference of opinion with the
\ngovernment. There has been no information to date as to whether
\nor not the legislators intend to continue the bill's
\ndeliberation.<\/p>\n
State Minister for Communications and Information Sofyan A.
\nDjalil had earlier said that his new portfolio ministry would not
\npose any threat to press freedom.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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