Constitutional amendment resumes

JAKARTA: The 90-member working body of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will resume activities on Thursday, making its agenda for the next six months.

MPR speaker Amien Rais discussed the working program with leaders of the political factions making up the Assembly.

Top on the agenda is resumption of the constitutional amendment, which was partly delayed last November after political factions failed to agree on some crucial issues.

Legislator Baharuddin Aritonang said earlier that MPR members would only have six months to discuss the remaining articles of the constitution to be amended.

Those articles relate to religious affairs, education, social welfare and discussing a constitutional commission.

"We only have six months to work and report the results to an annual meeting on August," he added.

According to Aritonang, the most crucial issues would be articles related to religion and the setting up of a proposed constitutional commission. --JP