Big factions agree on constitutional commission

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.