1. MPR: 12 x 4 lines

1. MPR: 12 x 4 lines

MPR won't
assess
Megawati's
progress report

Following a series of meetings, all 12 factions in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) have agreed not to assess the
progress report presented by President Megawati Soekarnoputri at
the Annual Session in August.

The agreement to drop the assessment plan may reduce the
duration of the Annual Session from the scheduled 12 days to only
10.

The deputy chairman of the ad hoc committee for the schedule
of the Annual Session, Rully Chairul, Azwar confirmed that the
Assembly factions would not make a specific assessment of the
President's progress report.

"The assessment will be made by a specific commission that
will later give recommendations to the President. This will save
time," Rully told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the
Santika Hotel here on Tuesday.

2. CHILD: 24 x 2 lines

Nation asked to uphold
children's rights

Both the government and the legislature lack the political will
to put forward children's interests, ignoring the importance of
upholding their rights in the country, an expert said.

Noted child psychologist Seto Mulyadi said on Tuesday that the
government and the legislature had ignored the children's rights
by postponing the endorsement of child protection law.

"We regretted the decision to postpone the endorsement as it
will also delay the improvement of child protection in the
country," Seto said.

He charged that the lack of political will was obvious, with
many child problems -- from prostitution, labors and street
children -- have yet to be solved.

3. CYBER: 27 x 1 line

Cyber law must meet global standards

A six-member expert team of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM)
urged NAM member countries to adopt international standards for
their cyber laws to minimize legal barriers in e-commerce, and
provide a common platform to curb cyber crimes.

The expert team under NAM's Center for South-South Technical
Cooperation (CSSTC) ended on Tuesday a two-day discussion on
harmonizing national e-commerce laws amongst NAM members.

CSSTC executive director Omar Halim said making Indonesia's
cyber law compatible with international standards would raise
confidence of doing business with Indonesian partners.

4. GUS: 25 x 2 lines

Gus Dur suggests a delay in
Constitution's amended articles

Public hope for a direct presidential election faces another
challenge as former president Abdurrahman Wahid suggested on
Tuesday that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) delay the
implementation of the amended articles in the 1945 Constitution.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said the implementation
must be postponed because of some conflicting articles displayed
in the amended constitution.

He called for the setting up of a constitution commission to
harmonize those conflicting articles.

"If there is no harmonization by the constitution commission,
there will be contradictory articles," Gus Dur was quoted by
Antara as saying at a ceremony commemorating the fourth
anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) in Lamongan,
East Java.