Bills threatened by civil servants issue

Bills threatened by civil servants issue

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) threatened on
Friday to boycott the remaining deliberations of the election
bill, thus rendering it unlawful, if the dominant Golkar faction
insists on Indonesia's 4.1 million civil servants being allowed
to join political parties.

PPP legislator Djufrie Asmoredjo said his faction would not
compromise on the matter.

"No, we're not going to press a vote, we're not going to walk
out of the session either, but if we're forced to decide (on the
matter), then we'll just quit the deliberations," he said.

"This means it (the bill) will become unlawful (and cannot be
passed)," Djufrie -- who chairs the committee deliberating the
bill -- told The Jakarta Post after attending a plenary session
of the PPP House faction.

He cited "fatal experiences" in the nation's history when the
bureaucracy was made a political machine by parties.

During the reign of former president Soeharto, the bureaucracy
was used to maintain the status quo.

Together with the Armed Forces (ABRI), the bureaucracy and the
dominant Golkar political grouping made up Soeharto's political
machine that kept legitimized his power for 32 years.

Learning from the past, the present government has proposed
that civil servants be barred from political parties. The motion
was stated in the election bill currently under deliberation.

Golkar has been campaigning for civil servants to be allowed
to join political parties, citing "human rights." The ABRI
faction agrees with Golkar, although it is keen to stress that
any recruitment should be voluntary and not coerced, while PPP
and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) agreed with the
government.

The question of civil servants' political role was one of
several contentious issues left undiscussed by the House pending
the completion of "easier" matters. Another issue was whether
parties will have to declare the Pancasila state ideology the
basis of their foundation.

PPP, which has been campaigning against having to name
Pancasila as part of its ideology, has found a solution,
according to Djufrie.

"We agree to declare Pancasila the state ideology in statutes
of political parties... but not as a party's principle," he
said.

House Speaker Harmoko closed the House sitting session on
Friday for a festive break until Jan. 4.

The deliberation of the election bill will resume then, as
will deliberation of the bills -- slated to be passed on Jan. 12
-- on political parties and on the status and structure of the
country's legislatures. The election bill is slated to be passed
on Jan. 28. (aan)