MPR recommends anticorruption commission<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) rejected on Wednesday a
\nproposal that would recommend the government to establish an
\nindependent committee to oversee business activities of the
\nfamily of a president.<\/p>\n
A lawmaker denied, however, allegations that the Assembly paid
\na little to the fight against corruption as it would suggest the
\ngovernment to immediately set up an independent anticorruption
\ncommission as mandated by the law.<\/p>\n
The recommendation will be among a number of MPR inputs to be
\noffered to the President at the end of its annual session on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
"This anticorruption commission must be set up and come into
\nforce. It will not only concentrate on the businesses involving
\nthe family of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, but that of all
\nstate officials," chairman of Commision C deliberating the
\nAssembly's internal ruling and recommendations to state
\ninstitutions, Barlianta Harahap, said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Reform faction, which is dominated by members of Assembly
\nspeaker Amien Rais' National Mandate Party (PAN) has demanded
\nthat the MPR ask the President form an independent committee to
\nsupervise the business of first family. A number of
\nnongovernmental organizations have also urged the highest
\nlawmaking body to declare a war against corruption, collusion and
\nnepotism.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the Reform faction Fuad Bawazier said the
\ncommittee could probe into alleged violations of fair business
\ncommitted by the President's family as many said were rampant in
\nthe past.<\/p>\n
The government has come under criticism for allegedly stalling
\nthe process to establish the anticorruption commision. The Law
\nNo. 30\/2002 on the anticorruption commission says the new body
\nmust have started working by Dec. 27, 2003. The government has so
\nfar been unable to form the team to select the commission members
\nsince the law was passed last November.<\/p>\n
Barlianta also revealed that the MPR would not mention at all
\nin the recommendation specific cases of alleged irregularities,
\nincluding the purchase of Sukhoi war planes, privatization of
\nstate-owned telecommunication firm Indosat and the reopening of
\npulp mill PT Indorayon in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) insisted on demanding revocation of MPR decree No.
\n33\/1967 that dismissed founding president Sukarno, the father of
\nMegawati. The faction may lose its case should MPR be forced to a
\nvote as other factions rejected the demand.<\/p>\n
Legislator Permadi of PDI Perjuangan said that his faction
\nwould bring the unsolved issue to a plenary session of the
\nAssembly on Thursday.<\/p>\n
"It is true that the people fully respect Sukarno, but legally
\nspeaking Sukarno is confined," Permadi told The Jakarta Post on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Permadi, who declared himself Sukarno's mouthpiece, said the
\ndecree discharging Sukarno must be repealed in a show of the
\ngoodwill to rehabilitate the name of the former president.<\/p>\n
If the Assembly rejects the proposal, Permadi said his faction
\nwould demand the Assembly to recommend the President restore
\nSukarno's reputation.<\/p>\n
After Wednesday session, Commision A on the establishment of a
\nconstitutional commision and Commission B on the review of 139
\nobsolete decrees enacted by the MPR between 1966 and 2002 managed
\nto complete their jobs and submitted their reports to the MPR.<\/p>\n
The Commission C asked for more time to submit their report.
\nThe commission's deputy chairman GBPH Joyokusumo told the plenary
\nsession the commision needed on more night for lobbying.<\/p>",
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