Bill grants political civil servants favorable treatment

JAKARTA (JP): The newly-issued Government Regulation No. 5/1999 stipulates that civil servants who pursue political activities will lose their posts in the bureaucracy but retain their status, receive compensation which could last for as long as five years, regular wage increases, and various other benefits.

The decree, which is meant to resolve conflicting stances in the House of Representatives over the 4.1 million civil servants' involvement in politics, came into effect on Tuesday when President B.J. Habibie signed it.

In the deliberation of the political bills, the United Development Party (PPP) faction had been putting up a fight for the bureaucracy's neutrality and for only 15 unelected House seats for the military. Following the issuance of the new decree, PPP yielded to the dominant Golkar and the Armed Forces (ABRI) factions' wish that the military be given 38 seats.

Also on Wednesday morning, government officials briefed journalists about the new decree.

Deputy Cabinet Secretary Erman Rajagukguk and Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and Administrative Reform Hartarto Sastrosoenarto explained a portion of the decree, including a section that says civil servants were allowed to join political parties only if they took a three-year "unpaid leave", or quit their job.

An appendix to the decree, however, says the civil servants are entitled to compensation for loss of employment, the amount of which is equal to their basic salaries. The so-called "waiting money" scheme, however, is effective for five years.

"The waiting money can be granted for a maximum of one year but can be extended but is not to exceed five years...

"In addition to the waiting money, the civil servants in question will also be given regular pay increases, family allowances, food allowances, and other benefits as regulated by the existing legislation," according to the explanatory section of the decree.

Erman said civil servants must report to their superiors their membership of political parties or their political activities over the next three months.

A conflicting explanation, however, was given by Ryaas Rasyid, the director for public administration and regional autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"Civil servants who take unpaid leave and join a political party will lose their positions and monthly wages but their status remains the same," he said referring to 1976 Government Regulation on civil service vacancies.

Chief of the Civil Servants Administration Agency (BAKN) Soenarko said positions mentioned in the regulation included those of director general, director, inspector, lecturer and clerk, judge and government prosecutor.

He added civil servants who failed to report their membership of a political party would be fired.

He said civil servants who were reaching a mandatory pension age of 56 and failed to report their political activities would not be dismissed but, instead, would be forced into retirement.

Rubiyanto Misman, the rector of the University of Soedirman in Purwokerto, Central Java, called on politically active civil servants to resign from their positions.

He named Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung, who is the Golkar chairman, Minister for Investment Hamzah Haz, the chairman of the PPP, State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Syaefuddin, who is the PPP deputy chairman, and chairman of the National Mandate Party Amien Rais, a lecturer at the Yogyakarta- based Gadjah Mada University. (rms/45)