Assembly's synchronizing team to meet today

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly will convene a synchronizing team today to resolve 20 unsettled issues left over from the regular sessions to deliberate the draft 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines.

One of the team members, Muhammad Buang, said over the weekend that the synchronizing team was formed to smooth the way for a unanimous approval of the draft.

"The team will seek compromises through intensive lobbying. All agreements reached in the team's deliberation will be adopted as the Assembly's decision," said Buang who represents the United Development Party (PPP) faction.

The team will comprise 15 members representing all five factions in the Assembly.

R. Hartono of dominant Golkar faction has been named the team's leader.

All the contentious matters which have to be settled were proposed by PPP and fellow minority faction PDI.

Buang said these issues include clauses on democratic economy, bureaucratic reforms, judicial review of laws by the Supreme Court, abolition of civil servants' political affiliation to Golkar, administrative roles given to poll contestants in general elections and the exclusion of nondenominational faiths from religious development.

"We are afraid that if we don't initiate a smaller forum, we might not be able to reach any decision on those problematic matters," Buang said, adding that such a practice applied in the deliberation of the 1993/1998 State Policy Guidelines in which he took part five years ago.

He predicted that the toughest debate would be on PPP's demand for the exclusion of nondenominational faiths from the religious affairs section in the policy guidelines.

A deadlock spree has marred the deliberation of the draft guidelines since it kicked off on Oct. 27. The deliberation will run until Jan. 23 next year.

The Assembly will resume its general session in March to endorse the draft.

Deliberations for unanimous agreement is usually highly preferred than voting.

Buang said, however, the synchronizing team did not have to force compromises if either PPP or PDI refused to give up their motions.

"Our job now is preparing, not approving, a draft. The endorsement will be made in the second stage of the Assembly general session next March," he said.

Filling the seats in the team are five Golkar representatives, including Minister of Information Hartono. Moslem-based faction the United Development Party (PPP), the Armed Forces and regional representatives factions have two seats each, while the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has one.

All the team members were picked from the 45-strong Assembly ad hoc committee in charge of the State Policy Guidelines. (amd)