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)