ABRI to get seats in House to stay 'powerful'

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) will likely obtain unelected seats in a large enough number at the House of Representatives to ensure it remains "powerful enough" to play a role in the legislative body.

ABRI legislator Budi Harsono said on Tuesday that in the deliberation of the draft law on the structure of the legislatures, the government has proposed a different approach to end the heated debates over how many seats should be allotted to ABRI.

Rather than being preoccupied with numbers, the committee should discuss how ABRI would best play its role, according to Ryaas Rasyid, the director general of regional autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs who represented the government.

"Let's not mix the two things up from now on (the number and the roles)," Budi said. "The important thing is how to make the future House decision making mechanism efficient."

The government -- backed by the Armed Forces -- has proposed that the military be given 55 seats in the next House of Representatives, down from the current 75. The United Development Party (PPP) faction insisted the military should not get more than 10 seats, the dominant Golkar proposed 25 while PDI was undecided but insisted it should be less than 55.

Budi was speaking after presiding over the session of the House's Working Committee deliberating the bill on the status of the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Budi said the government had estimated about 30 political parties would be able to contest the upcoming general election slated for June 7.

The session discussed the House's decision making mechanism -- consisting of factions, commissions, sub-commission and other auxiliaries -- which Budi said all factions had agreed should be made "efficient".

Forming 30 factions after the next general election, however, would not be efficient, Budi said, adding that the ideal number of commissions would be between six and 10. He said all factions -- namely ABRI, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Golkar -- have agreed to allow a Formulation Team to find the most efficient number of factions.

Regarding the number of commissions, Budi said all factions agreed the current eight was too small, given how each commission now has to supervise the performance of at least eight government agencies. The "ideal number" proposed by the government, Budi said, is around 10 commissions.

Regarding the proposed establishment of sub-commissions -- which are to replace the existing Working Group of factions, Budi said their number would depend on how many government agencies would be the partners of the commissions.

"There'll be around 30 to 40 sub-commissions," he said.

Regarding the question of "efficiency", Budi said: "The number of legislators in each faction should be sufficient to allow them to play their roles in the commissions and sub-commissions."

The sub-commissions -- which will serve as factions' think- tanks -- will play important roles because the future House will be expected to initiate new legislation, Budi said.

The government also proposed that details regarding the proper number of commissions and sub-commissions be included in the House's new internal rules. On this issue, "factions had asked for time to consult their own members," Budi revealed.

Budi refused to comment on whether, if accepted, the proposal would allow ABRI to retain at least 50 unelected seats.

The three working committees deliberating the bills on general elections, on the structure of the legislatures and on political parties will continue their work Wednesday morning. The House of Representatives is expected to complete the process on Jan. 28. (aan)