Legislators skip sessions, important bills untouched<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives (DPR) once again showed its lack of
\nprofessionalism to the public on Thursday when its steering
\ncommittee (Bamus) failed to form teams to deliberate the much-
\ndebated bills on antiterrorism due to low attendance.<\/p>\n
The meeting of the steering committee was delayed until next
\nTuesday because it failed to make a quorum. Of the committee's 76
\nmembers, only 27 showed up.<\/p>\n
The meeting was also supposed to discuss a petition signed by
\nmore than 150 legislators to unseat House Speaker Akbar Tandjung,
\nwho was convicted by the Central Jakarta District Court of
\ncorrupting Rp 40 billion (US$4.6 million) in state funds.<\/p>\n
Deputy House Speaker A.M. Fatwa who was supposed to head the
\nmeeting confirmed that the delay was due to poor attendance.<\/p>\n
To reach a quorum, at least half of the 76 members must attend
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Well, we cannot reach the mandatory quorum. We can't do
\nanything,\" Fatwa simply said.<\/p>\n
With the failure of the House of Representatives (DPR) to set
\nup teams to deliberate the bills on antiterrorism, it is unlikely
\nthat the bills will be ready by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Previously, all factions at the House pledged to finish the
\ndeliberation on the antiterrorism bills in this session which
\nwill end on Nov. 29. With only one week left, it will be
\nimpossible for legislators to meet the targeted deadline.<\/p>\n
Likewise, the legislators will not be able to finish the
\ndeliberation of the much-awaited general elections bill during
\nthis session.<\/p>\n
The bill is still being deliberated.<\/p>\n
When asked if this situation indicated that the House had no
\ncommitment to meet its legislative duties, Fatwa simply replied:
\n\"Well, you can see for yourself.\"<\/p>\n
Fatwa denied speculations that the poor attendance in the
\nmeeting of the steering committee was designed to stop a move by
\nlegislators to unseat Akbar.<\/p>\n
In addition to the bills and the petition against Akbar, the
\nsteering committee was supposed to discuss other issues,
\nincluding a bill on the formation of a new province of West
\nSulawesi and a bill on the protection of Indonesian workers
\nabroad.<\/p>\n
Poor attendance was also shown in two separate sessions on
\nThursday: one to deliberate the controversial broadcasting bill
\nand the second to endorse the bill on building construction.<\/p>\n
Of the 50 members of a special committee deliberating the
\nbroadcasting bill, only about 12 legislators were present.<\/p>\n
Poor attendance was also shown by legislators earlier in the
\nday at a plenary meeting on the endorsement of the bill on
\nbuilding construction.<\/p>\n
The plenary meeting was delayed for one hour apparently to
\nwait for the arrival of legislators. Only 150 legislators of the
\ntotal 500 House members were registered on the attendance list
\nwhen the plenary meeting was opened.<\/p>\n
Based on Article 189 of the House Standing Orders, a meeting
\nin the House can make a decision only if the meeting is attended
\nby more than half of the meeting's members representing more than
\nhalf of the factions.<\/p>\n
Fatwa, who also presided over the plenary meeting, was not
\nbothered by the poor attendance and quickly banged the gavel to
\nauthorize the endorsement of the bill.<\/p>\n
The bill on building construction was submitted to the House
\non March 12 last year. Legislators took almost two years to
\nfinish the bill.<\/p>\n
The bill on building construction consists of 10 chapters and
\n49 articles.<\/p>\n
In his acceptance speech, Minister for Settlement and
\nInfrastructure Soenarno revealed that the bill required four
\ngovernment regulations to make it effective.<\/p>\n
He pledged that the government would finish the four
\nregulations within one year.<\/p>",
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