Legislators seek fuel hike review<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A number of factions in the House of Representatives launched a
\ncampaign on Monday for lawmakers to support a proposed
\nextraordinary plenary meeting to pressure the government to
\nreview the recent fuel hike policy.<\/p>\n
But leaders from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDIP), Indonesian Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), and Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) said that the move would
\nnot be effective in putting pressure on the government unless it
\nwas supported by majority of legislators.<\/p>\n
Deputy House Speaker Zaenal Maarif of the PAN faction sent a
\nletter to other deputies on Monday, calling for a consultative
\nmeeting for Wednesday between the House leadership and faction
\nleaders to decide on whether to approve the extraordinary plenary
\nmeeting proposed by the PKB.<\/p>\n
Zaenal said that the consultation meeting would still be valid
\neven though House Speaker Agung Laksono, who is overseas for an
\ninternational parliamentary meeting, would not be in attendance.
\nAgung is also a deputy chairman of the Golkar Party, the largest
\nparty in the House. Golkar is also the main supporter of the
\ngovernment, being led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.<\/p>\n
He was optimistic that the plenary meeting could be held this
\nweek. \"Hopefully, everything will go as planned,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Another House deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar of the PKB
\nfaction acknowledged that there had been increasing numbers of
\nlawmakers supporting the proposed extraordinary plenary session,
\nbut he was concerned that there were still a large number of
\nlegislators still outside Jakarta visiting their constituents in
\nthe regions during the current recess period that ends on Oct.
\n24.<\/p>\n
The administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nearlier this month more than doubled the price of fuel products
\nin a bid to help ease the burden on the state budget in covering
\nthe fuel subsidy amid soaring international oil prices. But the
\npolicy has drawn criticism from students, some economists and
\ncertain lawmakers who said that the fuel price increase was too
\nsteep. Some lawmakers argued that they only approved an increase
\nof around 30 percent, calling the government to review the policy
\nas it put too much burden on ordinary people who were just
\nstarting to recover from the devastating impact of the late 1990s
\neconomic crisis.<\/p>\n
The PDIP was the first to protest the fuel hike policy, and
\nwas followed by the PKB who proposed the extraordinary plenary
\nsession, which was immediately opposed by Agung.<\/p>\n
Aside from Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS) were initial supporters of the
\nfuel hike policy.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the PDIP faction Tjahyo Kumolo said the fuel price
\nhike and its negative impacts was a national problem because it
\nafflicted not only his party supporters but people all around the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"All legislators should leave their own party behind and,
\ninstead, turn their eyes and open their hearts to the people's
\neconomic suffering. We should not continue playing the role of
\nrubber stamp for the government's policies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the PKB faction, Helmi Yahya, said it was not
\ntimely for the government to make such an unpopular decision that
\nbrought such serious negative implications to the economy and to
\npeople's livelihoods.<\/p>\n
\"The fuel price hike will not only double the inflation rate;
\nit will also simultaneously weaken people's purchasing power due
\nto the soaring prices of goods. The unemployment rate will rise
\nas businessmen will cut their own labor force for efficiency.
\nLast but not least, the distribution of cash aid in compensation
\nfor the fuel price hike has raised many problems in the field,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Tjahyo and Helmi said their factions had no objections to the
\ngovernment's decision to phase out the fuel subsidy, but it
\nshould be done gradually and in accordance with people's
\npurchasing power.<\/p>",
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