Tension eases within the House: Speaker<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono claimed on
\nSaturday the two opposing coalitions in the legislature had
\nagreed to put an end to their current deadlock, with the People's
\nCoalition promising to attend plenary and commission meetings.<\/p>\n
Agung said the agreement was reached during an informal
\nmeeting between House leaders and the leaders of the 10 House
\nfactions on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
\"The two groups no longer blame each other and the conflict
\nhas eased,\" Agung said during a working visit to the Bakauheni
\nseaport in Lampung on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"All of the House factions have promised to return to
\ncommission and plenary meetings,\" Agung was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
The meeting on Friday evening was attended by M. Hata of
\nGolkar Party, Panda Nababan of the Indonesia Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), Erman Suparno of the National Awakening Party
\n(PKB), Endin AJ Soefihara of the United Development Party (PPP),
\nAbdillah Toha of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Irwan
\nPrayitno of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).<\/p>\n
The House split over the election mechanism for leaders of the
\ncommissions and auxiliary bodies. The Nationhood Coalition and
\nthe National Awakening Party (PKB) insisted that the chairmanship
\nposts of the commissions and auxiliary bodies be put to a vote,
\nwhile the pro-government People's Coalition wanted the posts to
\nbe distributed proportionally among the House factions.<\/p>\n
The People's Coalition -- comprising PPP, PAN, the Democratic
\nParty (PD) and the PKS, as well as several small parties -- has
\nboycotted all plenary and commission meetings over the past two
\nweeks, bringing the House to a standstill.<\/p>\n
Agung said the faction leaders came to an understanding of
\neach other's positions during the informal meeting.<\/p>\n
\"It (the understanding) will be very instrumental in dealing
\nwith existing problems,\" said Agung of Golkar. In addition to
\nGolkar, the People's Coalition includes the PDI-P, the Reform
\nStar Party (PBR) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS).<\/p>\n
However, he declined to reveal how the factions would resolve
\ntheir deadlock over the commission chairs.<\/p>\n
Asked about a possible power-sharing agreement between the
\nfactions, Agung said it would be discussed by each commission.<\/p>\n
The Nationhood Coalition, which is the dominant force in the
\nHouse, has offered the People's Coalition three chairmanship and
\n12 deputy chairmanship posts for the House commissions and
\nauxiliary bodies.<\/p>\n
The deputy chairman of the PKS faction, Irwan Prayitno, said
\nhis faction was willing to forgo any leadership positions with
\nthe commissions and auxiliary bodies if it would help end the
\ndeadlock.<\/p>\n
\"If it would end the conflict, and if the House would readopt
\nits old standing orders, our faction is willing not to receive
\nany posts,\" Irwan was quoted by detik.com news portal as saying
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said faction leaders were expected to hold another meeting
\non Sunday to reach some kind of consensus on the dispute.<\/p>\n
People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hideout Narrowed called
\non legislators on Saturday to end their dispute, which he said
\nwould prevent the House from doing its job.<\/p>\n
\"If the dispute cannot be settled, the House cannot monitor
\nand control the government,\" he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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