Supreme Advisory Council fights for survival<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Ignoring mounting demands for the scrapping of the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council (DPA), chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro has lodged a
\ncomplaint with the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) over its
\nplan to place one of the state's highest institution under the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
\"Basically, DPA should be on the same level with the President
\nso it can maintain objectivity in making suggestions to the
\nPresident,\" he told the press before delivering a progress report
\nto the Assembly on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The MPR has agreed to downgrade Chapter IV of the 1945
\nConstitution which stipulates the existence of the council and to
\nplace it as a clause in Article 16 on government authority. The
\nclause states that the President shall establish an advisory
\ncouncil.<\/p>\n
The amendment of Article 16 will be finalized in the ongoing
\nMPR Annual Session.<\/p>\n
Tirtosudiro insisted that the council was still necessary,
\nsaying, \"other countries in Europe or Asia have a similar
\ninstitution\".<\/p>\n
In the progress report, Tirtosudiro stated that DPA had
\nsubmitted 180 recommendations to President B.J. Habibie and
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid, and another 23 to President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The council proposed, among other things, an antiterrorism
\nlaw. The proposal, however, has become obsolete since the
\ndrafting was made years before the UN Security Council issued a
\nresolution on Sept. 28, 2001, on the campaign against terrorism.<\/p>",
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