The DPR's priorities<\/p>\n
As may have been expected, the House of Representatives (DPR)
\nhas once again failed to decide on the seemingly simple question
\nof whether or not to form a special committee of inquiry (Pansus)
\nto look into the corruption charges that have been filed against
\nits speaker, Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung. With the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) and the military\/police factions
\nstalling on the issue, it was of course a foregone conclusion
\nthat the proposed Pansus would not be established. After all,
\nthose three factions -- together with Golkar -- control well over
\nhalf of the total number of votes in the national legislature.<\/p>\n
Under the circumstances, stalling in taking a definitive stand
\non the issue was for those three factions a better option than an
\noutright rejection of the proposal, which could have given the
\npublic the undesired impression that they were blatantly siding
\nwith detested corrupt New Order elements of the past Soeharto
\nregime.<\/p>\n
This, however, makes it the second time, after a similar
\ndecision was taken on March 7, that the House has disappointed
\nthose who have been clamoring in the streets for the formation of
\nPansus. Their argument is that Golkar, as the New Order's
\ninstrument of oppression, must be made to account for the crimes
\nand misdeeds ascribed to that regime and its leader, the now
\nailing former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The official position taken by the factions opposing such a
\ncommittee of inquiry, on the other hand, is that the case against
\nAkbar is at present under investigation by the Attorney General's
\nOffice and the law must take precedence over politics, and be
\nindependent of political considerations.<\/p>\n
Extrapolating further, what this argument can be taken to mean
\nis that these factions are unwilling to take the political risks
\nthat are involved in acquiescing to the popular demand for an
\ninvestigation by the House. Golkar, after all controls 120 votes
\nin the legislature, the second largest number after PDI
\nPerjuangan with 153 votes. And, like it or not, Golkar's
\ncooperation is essential to the Megawati government if it wants
\nto maintain the already fragile political stability in this
\ncountry. Golkar, of course, had made no bones about its intention
\nto go all out in obstructing the committee's formation.<\/p>\n
Politics, being as Bismarck said, the art of the possible, it
\nis difficult to predict with any measure of certainty how the
\nissue will unfold from this point onward. However, given the
\npolitical constellation that exists in Indonesia at the moment it
\nis not at all impossible to believe that a decision by the
\nlegislature in favor of a investigation by a legislative
\ncommittee will be left to dangle, at least until the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office comes out with clear verdict generally
\nacceptable to all.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, however, and possibly more important than all
\nthis, several important points on the legislature's agenda have
\nhad to wait while the House fritters away much of its energy
\ndeciding on whether or not a special legislative committee should
\nbe established.<\/p>\n
With the House scheduled to go into recess next week on March
\n28, there is not much time left for the legislature to discuss
\nthe 20 or more bills that are waiting to be passed. These include
\na bill to guarantee the free flow of information and another on
\nstate secrecy, which has been the subject of some controversy
\nlately. Other bills that have been left waiting to be passed
\nconcern subjects ranging from money laundering to the presidency,
\nbank credits and child protection.<\/p>\n
Given the huge stockpile of subject matter that needs to be
\ncleared and the shortage of time available, it is high time the
\nHouse of Representatives started paying greater attention to its
\npriorities. The case involving House Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\naffects the public's sense of justice and needs to be treated
\nwith fairness and wisdom. However, it should not stand in the way
\nof completing the legislature's other, possibly more important,
\ntasks.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-dprs-priorities-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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