Big factions agree on constitutional commission
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Major factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have expressed their agreement for discussing mounting demands for the setting up of a constitutional commission tasked with amending the 1945 Constitution.
The major factions include those of the big four parties -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Their agreement was expressed by their spokespersons at the end of the fourth day of the Assembly's Annual Session on Sunday.
Dozens of non-governmental organizations expressed their disappointment that a proposal to establish an independent constitutional commission was not included in the five main drafts of the Assembly's decisions.
Spokeswoman for the Golkar faction Baiq Isvie Rufaeda said that if the Assembly's ad hoc committee failed to bring about the amendment of the constitution, the task should be given to a National Committee for the Amendment of the 1945 Constitution.
"This National Committee should be given full authority to amend the Constitution so that the Assembly will only have to approve its work at the Assembly's 2002 Annual Session," said Baiq.
PDI-P faction spokesman P. Siahaan said that his faction agreed to the setting up of a constitutional commission in a response to pressure for more public participation in the process of constitutional amendment. But the faction had not yet come up with detailed proposals.
The PPP's faction spokesman, Nurdahri Ibrahim Nain, said that the formation of a constitutional commission was expected to eliminate suspicion that short-term political interests might affect the amendment process.
She also stressed the need for public participation in the process.
"It is from the people that sovereignty emanates. Hence, all the state's activities should be approved by the people. In other words, the Constitution should clearly reflect the people's sovereignty," said Nurdahri.
The PKB's faction spokesman said that her party could accept a proposal to establish a constitutional commission, but stressed that extensive popular participation was needed for effecting constitutional reform.
Hadar N. Gumay of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) cautiously welcomed the agreement of the major factions, but he was still unhappy with the PDI-P's view that the constitutional commission should be subordinate to the Assembly's ad hoc committee.
"The other factions are saying that the constitutional commission should be given full authority to carry out the amendment process, and the Assembly should only specify the commission's terms of reference," Hadar told The Jakarta Post.
Other issues raised during Sunday's session included the formation of a Regional Delegates faction in the Assembly and the insertion of the Jakarta Charter into the Constitution.
Nearly all the factions, with the notable exception of the PDI-P faction, expressed their support for the establishment of a Regional Delegates Faction as proposed by a number of regional representatives.
The PPP faction, Crescent and Star faction, and the Reform faction also proposed that the Jakarta Charter be inserted into the 1945 Constitution.
The Jakarta Charter, which was scrapped from the Constitution's preamble in 1945, subjects Muslims to Syariah Islamic law.