Assembly likely to drop internal rule review

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) looked almost certain yesterday to dismiss a proposal to change its internal rules, pending overnight deliberation in each of its five factions.

The rules apply, among other things, to the members' rights and obligations, the size of membership, members' immunity from prosecution and meeting procedures.

Chairman of the Assembly's ad hoc committee in charge of the internal rules deliberation, Wiranto, said the session yesterday failed to decide on the United Development Party (PPP) faction's demand for the Assembly to declare every ad hoc committee session open to the public.

The current internal rules state that ad hoc committee sessions are to be held behind closed doors, but the Assembly could declare them open.

The committee also delayed deliberation on the PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions' motion for the establishment of MPR decrees on a clean government. This particular issue is not related to the motion for changes in the internal rules.

Wiranto, who is also Army Chief of Staff, hailed the committee members for their cooperativeness in the session which discussed 42 suggestions for changes.

"I deeply appreciate all the factions for (seeking) to solve any problem in the spirit of harmony," Wiranto said.

After a brief lobbying session early in the meeting, all of the factions agreed not to change stipulations on membership of the Assembly working committee, the number of factions and the working committee's jobs.

Both the PPP and PDI had demanded earlier an increase in the number of committee members from the current 90 to 100, with equal voting rights. Only half of the committee members have voting rights, according to the current internal rules.

The minority parties also saw their proposal to unite the regional representatives with legislators representing various professions and mass organizations into one faction rejected.

Yesterday's session dropped PDI's bid to extend the term of office of working committee members to five years to allow them to prepare drafts of state policy guidelines for the next general session.

But all five factions agreed to take note of the PDI's proposal in the Assembly's report.

Autonomy

In a separate session deliberating state policy guidelines, the PPP urged the Assembly to focus on the empowerment of regional authorities if the government was to go on with its plan to establish regional autonomy.

"Autonomy will take shape if local governments are provided with the authority to coordinate and combine the planning, implementation and control of development programs in their respective territories," PPP spokesman Alimarwan Hanan told the session presided over by R. Hartono.

Alimarwan said regional autonomy would include management of finances, although the government should maintain its assistance taken from the state budget.

"That's why our faction finds it urgent (that we) establish a law on financial balances which regulate the distribution of funds raised by local governments," Alimaran said.

The Moslem-oriented faction also suggested fair allocation of projects to help local people enhance their economic resources and reduce their financial dependence on the government.

The PDI supported PPP's bid to set up regulations which ensure fair distribution of government and regional revenues.

The Golkar faction said Indonesia should pay more attention to environment conservation and rehabilitation in the next five-year development program.

The faction's spokeswoman Pratiwi Sudharmono said all efforts should be sought, including the use of clean technology without sacrificing economic, social, cultural and legal principles.

Deliberations on the possibility to exclude a non-denomination faith from religious development programs looks set to highlight the session today. (amd)