Crash course for legislators not compulsory
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that the crash course which State Minister of Special Assignments Harmoko was preparing for new legislators was not compulsory.
The three parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- were free to decide whether to enroll their representatives, said a senior government official.
Harmoko is scheduled to assume his new cabinet post today, relinquishing his portfolio as minister of information, which he has held since 1983, to former Army chief of staff Gen. R. Hartono. Harmoko retains his post as Golkar's chairman.
Soeharto discussed preparations for the course yesterday with Alwi Dahlan, who heads BP7, the agency in charge of public education on the state ideology Pancasila. The agency will organize the course under Harmoko's coordination.
After the meeting, Alwi quoted Soeharto as saying that "the only purpose of the course is to upgrade the legislators' ability in articulating the people's aspirations, so that the House of Representatives improves its social control function".
The government was offering the course because it had the resources not, because it intended to dictate to the House of Representatives, Alwi quoted the President as saying.
"They (new legislators) can refuse the course if they feel that they already know everything about the 1945 Constitution and our national political system," he said.
Alwi said the course for the 500 legislators would be divided into five groups. "We assume that all of them will take part in the course," he added.
President Soeharto is scheduled to induct the 500 legislators at the House of Representatives on Oct. 1 following the May 29 election.
Based on the provisional election results, Golkar is estimated to have won 325 seats, PPP 89 and PDI 10. One seat is still undecided. The other 75 seats in the House are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members did not vote.
The final composition of the House must wait for the final results of the general election to be announced this month.
Many new faces are expected to give the House a younger look. Golkar in particular is striving to rejuvenate its faction in the House by setting term limits and fielding new candidates.
The House has been widely criticized for being dysfunctional in the face of the mighty government.
The PPP was cautious yesterday about the new course.
"I'm not offended, but I don't feel comfortable about the plan," PPP deputy chairman Yusuf Syakir told Antara.
"If the government wants to organize the course, then go ahead. But PPP cannot yet make a stand whether to accept or not. We must first see the course's content," Yusuf said.
Human rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said the "excessive" plan could undermine the independence of legislators.
The government's gesture implied that legislators were expected to be even more loyal to the government, Buyung said.
He feared this might make the new legislators too afraid to question the government.
Marzuki Darusman, a former legislator and now deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, considered the course "innovative" which could lead to improved communication between the House of Representatives and the government. (06/11)