MPR blasted for delay in establishment of commission<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Experts and activists blasted the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) on Thursday for putting off the establishment of a
\nconstitutional commission until 2003.<\/p>\n
Alarmed at the decision reached last night, the Coalition for
\nA New Constitution blasted the Assembly for the delay, and
\ncharged that the reasons cited for the delay were illogical. The
\ncoalition also criticized the Assembly for failing to grasp the
\nurgency of setting up the commission during the MPR's Annual
\nSession, which is scheduled to end on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Political observer and coalition member Mochtar Pabottinggi
\nsaid the delay would only create more problems, the consequence
\nof the numerous problems contained in the amended 1945
\nConstitution, with its overlapping laws and regulations.<\/p>\n
"We believe that establishing a constitutional commission now
\nduring the ongoing Annual Session of the MPR would not cause any
\npolitical problems, such as hampering the 2004 general election
\nor revoking the results of previous amendments to the
\nConstitution as feared by the legislators," he said during a
\nhastily called media conference.<\/p>\n
"Rather than halting the democratic process, the commission
\nwould reform the Constitution, a main agenda of the country's
\nreform process in order to eliminate abuses of power," Mochtar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Overlapping clauses in the amended Constitution, especially on
\nthe separation of power between the legislative and executive
\nbranches, have the potential to cause tension and political
\ninstability in the future. This is because the amended articles
\ndo not provide the space for a democratic state system, according
\nto the coalition.<\/p>\n
The coalition, which began campaigning for a constitutional
\ncommission in 1999, pointed out that the amended Constitution
\nwould serve as an umbrella for the 2004 general election and the
\ndirect presidential election, as well as the constitutional
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the country's largest Muslim
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), threw his support behind an
\nindependent commission.<\/p>\n
An independent commission, Hasyim said, "will ensure that the
\namended Constitution will be accepted by the general public
\ninstead of causing conflicts, as demonstrated by the results of
\namendments by legislators".<\/p>\n
The Government Watch also backs an independent commission,
\nsaying members of the commission should be impartial and the
\ncommission should not include politicians or bureaucrats.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a group of noted figures signed a statement on
\nThursday urging the immediate establishment of the commission.<\/p>\n
The signatories included noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution,
\nNU deputy chairman Solahuddin Wahid, Muhammadiyah member Moeslim
\nAbdurrachman, former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, activist
\nHariman Siregar and General Elections Commission member Mulyana
\nW. Kusumah.<\/p>\n
"There should be a law, or a government regulation in lieu of
\na law, which stipulates the requirement for commission members,
\nthe commission's composition, tasks and functions, and its
\nworking mechanisms to ensure its independence," Mulyana said.<\/p>",
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