Akbar agrees to abolition of MPR's annual session

Akbar agrees to abolition of MPR's annual session

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar
Tandjung expressed support on Tuesday for arguments that the
Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) be
scrapped, saying that the MPR had no right to control the
government.

"In my capacity as (Golkar) party chairman, I agree that we
should not hold an Annual Session," Akbar told reporters.

He was of the view that the session, held in August, only
created political tension.

He stated that, according to the Constitution, the Assembly
could only seek presidential accountability when he or she ends
his five-year term.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also chairwoman
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
told her party's supporters in Surabaya on Sunday that the
holding of the Annual Session should be reconsidered.

She claimed that it was only a waste of time and energy on the
part of the government.

"There are too many political maneuvers in the session which
result in the government neglecting to focus on its programs and
instead waste time and energy in countering these maneuvers,"
Megawati claimed.

Akbar suggested the already scheduled Annual Sessions for 2001
and 2002 only discuss the amendment of the Constitution.

He said the Assembly's working body should no longer cover a
presidential progress report or reports from other state
institutions.

"As a substitute, probably, we can conduct an annual hearing
between the government and the House," Akbar proposed.

House Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar agreed with Megawati's
suggestion, saying that the Assembly's Annual Session had become
a mere political tool.

"I will join with legislators from PDI Perjuangan and Golkar
to propose that the Annual Session not be held," Muhaimin, who is
also the secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB),
remarked.

He also claimed that the Annual Session only created an
overlap with the House's duty of control.

Many experts regretted the outcome of August's Annual Session
which cost the state some Rp 25 billion, saying that it was
mainly used as a medium for politicians to attack each other
which then created political tension. (jun)