Assembly gears up to establish constitution commission

Assembly gears up to establish constitution commission

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is gearing up for its
Annual Session wherein it is expected to endorse a decree
establishing the long awaited Constitutional Commission, however
its functions will be restricted to assessing constitutional
amendments in the past.

Far from the public's hope of having a powerful commission,
the new body will not have the authority to write new amendments.

"The commission is supposed to be completed two months after
the Annual Session. It will help the Assembly for the assessment
of amendments," a member of the Assembly ad hoc committee for
constitutional amendments Baharuddin Aritonang told The Jakarta
Post on Monday.

The session will take place from Aug. 1 through Aug. 10, and
cost taxpayers about Rp 20 billion (US$2.4 million). It will be
the last session to be held by the Assembly during its 1999-2004
term.

Aritonang, from The Golkar Party, said that after finishing
the assessment, the commission would report to the Assembly's
working body before presenting its report to the Assembly plenary
session.

According to him, Assembly members were still debating the
number of commission members.

"But we do know that there will be some constitutional experts
on the commission," he conceded.

Responding to the quality of the constitutional commission, a
member of the Coalition For a New Constitution, Bambang
Widjojanto criticized the Assembly members.

"The lawmakers have taken away any power in the Constitutional
Commission. It is more like a powerless team of assistants,"
Bambang told the Post.

The commission, in its current form, would have no power to
propose a new constitution, or even to design the structure of
any new amendment.

"The only task that will be given to the commission is that it
must make reports for the MPR which will then decide all
matters," Bambang lamented.

Apart from preparing the decree that will establish the
Constitutional Commission, the MPR legislators will also
deliberate on the numerous Assembly decrees issued between 1966
and 2002.

Assembly member Aisyah Aminy of the United Development Party
(PPP) said that the MPR session could actually revoke some of the
outdated or unwanted decrees.

"We are in the process of discussing which Assembly decrees
might be revoked and which will not," Aisyah told the Post.

Aisyah is a member of the Assembly's ad hoc committee for MPR
decrees.

Separately, Alihardi Kiaidemak who chairs the Assembly's ad
hoc committee for budget and program affairs disclosed that the
10-day session would not cost more than Rp 20 billion.

Alihardi added that the members of the Assembly seemed divided
on whether to allow the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) to present
its annual report during the session.

As a result of a constitutional amendment last year, the DPA
will longer exist as of 2004 and its role will be replaced by a
smaller team of presidential advisers.

"We will consult with Assembly leaders about whether the DPA
will be summoned to present its report," Alihardi added.

Alihardi of PPP faction emphasized that the Assembly session
would not appraise the performance of state institutions. Each
faction, however, will be given an opportunity to comment on the
performance of state institutions.