Mixed response in House to Aceh deal<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The reaction was mixed in the House of Representatives on Monday
\nto the draft peace deal signed by the government and the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM), with some legislators questioning GAM's main
\ndemand to establish a local political party in the province.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives will play a key role should the
\nissue be agreed for deliberation as it will involve the revision
\nof laws governing the existence of political parties in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Government negotiators concluded on Sunday the fifth round of
\ntalks with GAM in Helsinki, Finland, producing a deal that could
\nend decades of separatist fighting in the province. The substance
\nof the deal has not yet been made public, and it is unclear what
\nform political representation for GAM, one of the group's key
\ndemands, has been agreed to.<\/p>\n
House Speaker and the deputy leader of the largest party in
\nthe house, Golkar, Agung Laksono, said any creation of a local
\nparty in Aceh should not be completely ruled out although the
\nconcept would contravene existing laws.<\/p>\n
\"If the government allows a local party, then we must revise
\nthe political party law. However, we've agreed to maintain the
\nspirit of a united Indonesia to resolve the Aceh conflict,\" said
\nAgung.<\/p>\n
Law No. 31\/2002 on political parties forbids the creation of
\nlocal parties, stating that all parties must be headquartered in
\nJakarta and be represented in half of the country's 33 provinces.<\/p>\n
Acehnese legislator Ahmad Farhan Hamid of the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) was optimistic about the deal.<\/p>\n
\"GAM's demand could be facilitated through revising Law No.
\n18\/2001 on special autonomy for Aceh. But it needs to be ensured
\nthat the party will campaign for nothing but a united
\nIndonesia ... no independence or separatist campaigns,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Farhan said a local electoral concept was not new to
\nIndonesia, citing Law No. 21\/2001 on special autonomy for Papua,
\nwhich mandates the creation of a local body of legislators for
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
The law creates the Papuan People's Assembly, a supposedly
\nparallel body to the provincial government, which independent
\nPapuan candidates could run for office in. Under the law, native
\nPapuans are also given priority in the candidate selection
\nprocess for political parties that contest seats in other
\nlegislative positions.<\/p>\n
More negative comments about the deal came from the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), the second- and third-largest House blocs
\nrespectively, who generally oppose the majority Golkar-Democratic
\nParty-led faction.<\/p>\n
PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anung warned that allowing
\nlocal parties in Indonesian politics would cause other regions to
\ndemand similar bodies, putting national unity in serious danger.<\/p>\n
Separatists who want independence from the republic also exist
\nin Papua and Maluku.<\/p>\n
PKB legislator Effendi Choirie said the latest development in
\nthe talks had overstepped a previous agreement to resolve the
\nconflict within the parameters of a united Indonesia and existing
\nlaws.<\/p>\n
Effendi, who is also the deputy leader of the House Commission
\nI for defense, said the government delegation would be summoned
\nto the commission soon to detail the results of the latest talks.<\/p>\n
GAM negotiating team member Mohammed Nur Djuli said
\nlegislators should not be worried about the issue of local
\npolitical parties in Aceh, saying that most genuine democracies
\nin many parts of the world recognized local parties.<\/p>\n
He vowed local parties in Aceh would not campaign for
\nindependence: \"It is against the Indonesian existing law and the
\npeace deal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesia Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto said the TNI would agree to pull out troops from Aceh if
\nGAM would disarm.<\/p>\n
\"If they are committed to surrendering their weapons and are
\nserious, there's nothing wrong about pulling out the troops,
\nbecause the presence of the TNI in Aceh is only because of GAM,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said he had sent official
\ninvitations to his counterparts in ASEAN and to European Union
\nforeign affairs head Javier Solana regarding the presence of EU
\nand ASEAN observers in the province to monitor the implementation
\nof the peace.<\/p>\n
Hassan said the observers' main job would be to ensure GAM's
\ndisarmament and the withdrawal of TNI troops in Aceh ran
\nsmoothly.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mixed-response-in-house-to-aceh-deal-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}