ABRI to get seats in House to stay 'powerful'

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)