Legislators seek clarification over vice presidential decree<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Several members of the House of Representatives have demanded
\nthat the legislature summon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to
\nclarify the controversial issuance of a vice presidential decree
\non the Aceh relief operations.<\/p>\n
The lawmakers submitted a petition to House Speaker Agung
\nLaksono on Monday for the House to summon the President.<\/p>\n
They said the law does not recognize any decree issued by the
\nvice president, and that Susilo should therefore appear before a
\nHouse plenary session to explain the matter.<\/p>\n
\"It is a blunder on the part the government ... The President
\nmust provide an explanation to the House,\" said Djoko Edhie
\nSutjipto of the National Mandate Party (PAN) during a meeting
\nwith Agung in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Djoko was accompanied by Helmy Faishal Zaini and Choirul
\nSholeh Rasyid of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Aria Bima
\nof the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).<\/p>\n
The petition was signed by a total of 15 House members.<\/p>\n
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has been under fire since issuing a
\ndecree on the establishment of a national team to handle
\nemergency relief operations for victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake
\nand tsunami in Aceh and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said last week that
\nKalla's instruction was \"unconstitutional\" because the President,
\nnot the Vice President, had the authority to issue such orders.<\/p>\n
Djoko Edhie said the issuance of the decree was a \"serious
\nmistake\" that must be explained to the House by the President.<\/p>\n
Agung Laksono said the petition would be brought to a House
\nplenary meeting scheduled for Tuesday.<\/p>\n
At the plenary meeting, the House Secretariat will inform the
\nlegislators about the petition. The House's steering committee
\nwill then set a schedule to discuss the petition.<\/p>\n
President Susilo is scheduled to hold a consultation meeting
\nwith Agung, his deputies and House Commission leaders on Tuesday
\nto discuss post-tsunami issues.<\/p>\n
The meeting will not discuss the proposed petition or the vice
\npresidential decree.<\/p>\n
Susilo ordered on Sunday the reorganization of the National
\nCoordinating Agency for Disaster Relief and Refugees (Bakornas
\nPBP), which is led by Kalla. The agency has been criticized for
\npoor coordination in the relief work in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Observers have interpreted these recent developments as signs
\nof cracks in the relationship between Susilo and Kalla, who was
\nrecently elected to replace Akbar Tandjung as the leader of the
\nGolkar Party.<\/p>\n
The signatories of the petition did not demand that Kalla
\nappear with Susilo before the House to answer questions about the
\ndecree.<\/p>\n
Aria Bima, who was among the signatories, said the legislators
\nfully supported relief operations for tsunami victims across Aceh
\nand North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
However, he said, the House had the responsibility to
\nsupervise the policies of the government.<\/p>\n
\"We are taking this action because we see something wrong with
\nthe government. It would be naive if legislators just kept
\nsilent,\" Aria said.<\/p>\n
This is the second times House members have proposed to summon
\nPresident Susilo. The first time was when legislators wanted an
\nexplanation from the President over his pledge to support the
\ninvestigation into the death of human rights campaigner Munir
\nfrom arsenic poisoning.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-seek-clarification-over-vice-presidential-decree-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}