Stipend for DPD members annoys House members<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although all 128 Regional Representatives Council (DPD) members
\nreside in their respective provinces, the DPD Secretariat has
\nallocated a monthly housing allowance for them to live in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Rahimullah, the DPD and the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) secretary general, disclosed on Wednesday that the 128
\nmembers will each receive Rp 13.5 million (US$1,450) per month in
\nhousing allowance, excluding their monthly salary of around Rp 16
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
\"There is no housing for the DPD members (in Jakarta), but we
\ncover their living cost in the capital,\" he told a hearing with
\nthe House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Article 33 (4) of Law No. 22\/2003 states that the DPD members
\nreside in their electoral districts and will stay in Jakarta only
\nto attend meetings.<\/p>\n
During their inauguration on Oct. 1, 2004 and the MPR plenary
\nmeeting to witness the swearing-in ceremony for President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono on Oct. 20 last year in Jakarta, the DPD
\nmembers stayed at the five-star Mulia Hotel.<\/p>\n
Later from Oct. 21 through Dec. 31, they stayed at the Mercure
\nApartment in Tomang, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Despite receiving the housing allowance, the DPD members still
\ndemanded permanent secretariats be set up in their respective
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
Legislators quickly questioned the fund allocations for the
\nhousing allowance as irrational because the DPD members must
\nreside in their respective provinces, not Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The allocation of the fund is questionable. According to the
\nlaw on composition of the legislative bodies, the DPD members
\nshould live in their respective provinces,\" said Abrab Paproeka
\nof the National Mandate Party (PAN).<\/p>\n
Maiyasyak Johan of the United Development Party (PPP) also
\nquestioned the legal basis for allocating the budget.<\/p>\n
Rahimullah's explanations apparently did not satisfy the
\nlegislators who insisted on demanding straight answers. His
\ndeputy, Eddie Siregar, vowed that he would soon give clear
\nexplanations in written form.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Constitutional Court
\nJanedjri M. Ghaffar, who attended Wednesday's hearing, said that
\nhis office was planning to build its own office building.<\/p>\n
The 14-story building will stand in a 4,220 square meter plot
\nof land near the National Monument in Central Jakarta. It will
\ncost more than Rp 191 billion (US$20.53 million).<\/p>\n
\"We hope the office building's construction can be finished in
\nearly 2006,\" Janedjri said.<\/p>\n
Asked why the court needed its own building, he said the
\ncurrent office building the use now belongs to the Ministry of
\nCommunications and Information.<\/p>\n
Janedjri further argued he had asked for permission from the
\nState Secretariat to use the office building, which used to house
\nthe now-defunct Supreme Advisory Council (DPA), but the request
\nwas rejected.<\/p>\n
The ex-DPA building would be used as the office of the
\nPresidential Advisory Board, the establishment of which was being
\ndiscussed, he explained.<\/p>",
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