Proamendment legislators dominate crucial commission<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) looks likely to
\nendorse the fourth amendment to the Constitution after it
\nselected on Saturday proconstitutional-reform legislators for the
\ncommission tasked with debating the crucial issue.<\/p>\n
Leading the list are lawmakers known to be in favor of the
\namendment, including Jacob Tobing of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Slamet Effendy Yusuf of
\nGolkar Party.<\/p>\n
The 239-strong Commission A comprises 59 legislators from PDI
\nPerjuangan, 49 Golkar legislators, 22 legislators from the United
\nDevelopment Party and 17 legislators from the National Awakening
\nParty. The Reform faction has 15 legislators, the Crescent Star
\nsix, the Indonesian Nation and Unity faction five, the Daulatul
\nUmmah faction four, the Love the Nation Democratic faction one,
\nand the Indonesian Military (TNI)\/National Police faction 14.<\/p>\n
There are also 16 regional representatives and 31 legislators
\nfrom the Interest group faction in the commission.<\/p>\n
Suwignyo of PDI Perjuangan, one of lawmakers who initiated
\nopposition to the amendment, said on Saturday there were 20
\nlegislators opposed to the amendment in the commission.<\/p>\n
\"Although we are small in number, we will keep voicing our
\nviews,\" Suwignyo said.<\/p>\n
Fellow PDI Perjuangan legislators Amin Arjoso and Bambang
\nPranoto, who are known for their opposition to the amendment,
\nwill join Suwignyo in the commission.<\/p>\n
Suwignyo claims to have won support from 110 PDI Perjuangan
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
The group earlier claimed that legislator Taufik Kiemas, who
\nis the husband of PDI Perjuangan chairwoman and the country's
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, threw his weight behind the
\nmove.<\/p>\n
However, the party's faction in its general view on Friday
\nasserted its support for the amendment process as far as it did
\nnot change the preamble of the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung underlined that his party
\nsupported constitutional reform, urging the MPR to go ahead with
\nthe amendment.<\/p>\n
\"Just pass the amendment. If there are some flaws, we can fix
\nthem during the next constitutional amendment,\" said Akbar, who
\nis also speaker of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
The debate on the constitutional amendment heightened after
\nthe TNI suggested that the country revert to the 1945
\nConstitution if the current amendment process ended in deadlock.<\/p>\n
Many feared the return to the old constitution would encourage
\nauthoritarianism, which would be counter to the current reform
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
Megawati's father, founding president Sukarno, issued a decree
\nstipulating the readoption of 1945 Constitution with full backing
\nof the military in 1959 after lawmakers failed to endorse a new
\nconstitution. The decree marked the start of \"Guided Democracy\",
\nwhich observers criticized as a defeat for democracy in the new
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Legislator Sutradara Gintings of the Indonesian Nation and
\nUnity faction dismissed on Saturday the possible deadlock, saying
\nall factions had expressed their commitment to the amendment.<\/p>",
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