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)