Lawmakers set to endorse controversial TNI bill<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives has finished deliberating the
\ncontroversial military bill and plans to bring the draft to
\na House plenary meeting for endorsement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Legislator Imam Addaruqutni of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) said on Tuesday the House and the government reached
\nagreement on several contentious issues in the bill during
\nclosed-door meetings at the House and a plush hotel in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Imam did not provide details of the meeting at the hotel,
\nsaying only that it took place on the eve of a session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly and lasted until 3 a.m. The four-
\nday Assembly session started last Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
While the House has insisted that it will endorse the bill
\nbefore the end of its current session, deliberations on the draft
\nappeared headed for a deadlock due to seemingly unreconcilable
\npositions held by the House and the government over certain
\nissues.<\/p>\n
The government, for example, had proposed that active military
\nofficers be allowed to occupy civilian posts in the bureaucracy,
\nbut the House had vehemently rejected this idea. In the final
\ndraft, both the House and the government agreed that active
\nmilitary officers may fill civilian posts that require a military
\ncapability.<\/p>\n
The government had also sought to reintroduce the military's
\nso-called territorial role, which during former president
\nSoeharto's 33 years of ironfisted rule was abused to coerce the
\npeople into supporting the government.<\/p>\n
In the face of strong public opposition, the government
\nwithdrew the proposal. Lawmakers, however, agreed to modify the
\nmilitary's \"territorial role\" into something aimed at boosting
\nnational defense capability.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of House Commission I in charge of
\nsecurity affairs, denied suggestions on Tuesday that money
\nchanged hands during the bill's deliberation.<\/p>\n
\"Let us look at the substance of the bill. Do not be negative
\nand think that we received something from the deliberations,\"
\nAmbong said.<\/p>\n
Happy Bone Zulkarnain of Golkar appreciated the willingness of
\nthe government, represented during the deliberations by the
\ndefense ministry and the TNI, to compromise on some crucial
\nissues, including explicit stipulations banning military
\npersonnel from joining political parties, taking part in
\npolitical activities and engaging in business activities.<\/p>\n
Article 74 of the bill, for example, stipulates that the
\ngovernment must take over the business assets of the TNI within
\nfive years. The procedures for this will be outlined in a later
\npresidential decree.<\/p>\n
The House began deliberating the bill on Aug. 23 during a
\nhearing with interim coordinating minister for political and
\nsecurity affairs Hari Sabarno, TNI commander Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto and the defense ministry's secretary-general, Rear
\nMarshal Suprihadi.<\/p>\n
After several open hearings, lawmakers continued the
\ndeliberations behind closed doors.<\/p>\n
Military observers and prodemocracy activists had urged that
\ndeliberation of the bill be handed over to the new House members
\nelected in the April 5 legislative election, who will be sworn in
\non Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri and House Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung also urged lawmakers not to rush the deliberations.<\/p>",
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