Doomed assembly unlikely to be missed

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will sit out its final session from Sept. 23 through Sept. 27, during which it will hear and comment upon the accountability report of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, State Audit Agency Chairman Satrio B. Joedono, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan, and Constitutional Court President Jimly Asshidiqqie are also scheduled to submit their accountability reports.

The session is also due to receive the report of the Assembly's Working Committee (BP MPR) assessing the work of the now-defunct Constitutional Commission.

The five-day session will mark the end of the Assembly members' five-year terms.

"The session will not be a farewell forum for the lawmakers. It will, however, be the last meeting for the legislators elected in the 1999 general election," Assembly spokesman Aip Suherman told The Jakarta Post here on Tuesday.

After hearing the accountability reports of the President and other top state officeholders, the Assembly factions will convene in groups to evaluate them.

The assembly factions will also evaluate the work of the 31- member Constitutional Commission.

The Constitutional Commission was set up to assess the amendments made to the 1945 Constitution, which analysts criticized as containing many flaws.

The Constitutional Commission offered its own versions of the amendments at the end of its work last April.

Several Assembly members criticized the Constitutional Commission for framing its own versions of the amendments, saying that the commission had gone too far.

A total of 142 domestic and 43 foreign media outlets have been officially accredited to cover the event, with a total of 850 and 154 journalists respectively.

In addition, more than 250 observers have also been accredited by the Assembly's news bureau.

Assembly schedule

- Sept.23 : Opening session, accountability reports by the President, House speaker, the State Audit Agency chairman, the Supreme Court chief justice, the Constitutional Court president.

- Sept.24 : Assembly factions prepare responses.

- Sept.25 : Assembly factions present appraisals.

- Sept.26 : Assembly discusses the work of the Constitutional Commission.

- Sept.27 : Close

Source: Assembly Secretariat