Team to discuss request for MPR special session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The plenary session of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly's working committee was postponed on Monday after a
\ngroup of legislators presented two letters, one of them demanding
\nthat the Assembly provide the possibility of turning the incoming
\nAnnual Session into a special session.<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, who presided over the session,
\nproposed that it should be delayed until Wednesday to give the
\nAssembly's Ad Hoc II Committee for Non-Constitutional Amendment
\ntime to discuss the letters.<\/p>\n
\"It's just a technical matter. We hope the ad hoc committee
\nwould be ready on Wednesday,\" Amien, who is chairman of the
\nNational Mandate Party, said before banging his gavel to close
\nthe session.<\/p>\n
He said that the letters were each signed by 27 legislators
\nand 28 legislators who are members of the Ad Hoc II Committee.<\/p>\n
He did not give further details about the letters.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Ad Hoc II Committee chairman Rambe
\nKamarulzaman admitted that the letter that was signed by 28
\nlegislators proposed the change to the Assembly's current
\ninternal ruling.<\/p>\n
\"The legislators who signed the letter came from various
\nfactions, except the National Awakening Party (PKB),\" Rambe of
\nGolkar Party told reporters after the session.<\/p>\n
He said the letter suggested that the Assembly's Annual
\nSession should not only listen to the President's progress
\nreport, as stated at the MPR internal ruling article 49, but also
\nevaluate the report.<\/p>\n
He said the legislators also proposed that the Assembly's
\nAnnual Session could recommend that the Assembly hold the special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
The Assembly's internal ruling article 50 does not stipulate
\nwhether the annual session could recommend a special session or
\nnot.<\/p>\n
However, Rambe urged the public not to see the letter as an
\neffort to topple President Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
\"People should not worry about it. It's just an effort to make
\nthe internal regulation clearer,\" he contended.<\/p>\n
PKB's legislator Syafrin Romas regretted the move by Rambe and
\nhis company, since the matter had never been discussed during the
\nprevious Ad Hoc II Committee's meetings.<\/p>\n
\"The letter was mainly proposed by Golkar legislators to
\ntopple the government,\" Syafrin, who is a member of the
\ncommittee, told reporters.<\/p>\n
He said according to the regulation, a special session should
\nonly be demanded by the House of Representatives after it gives
\nthe President a memorandum three times.<\/p>\n
\"So, its not the Assembly's duty to recommend the special
\nsession,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the legislators proposed the letter based only
\non the minimum requirement of 25 signatories.<\/p>\n
He said the letter, if it was accepted, could only be applied
\nin next year's General Session since it has never been discussed
\nin the earlier meetings.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Amien reiterated that there will be no
\nspecial session to topple Abdurrahman during the Annual Session
\nwhich will be held between Aug. 7 and Aug. 18. (jun)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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