DPA members resign en masse

DPA members resign en masse

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

All 45 members of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) announced
their resignation on Thursday, finally closing the history-book
on the state institution.

But the DPA Chairman, Achmad Tirtosudiro, refused to call it a
dissolution of the council.

"This is not a dissolution of DPA, it is just the mass
resignation of DPA members," he said. "DPA will not be disbanded
until a law on the institution's dissolution comes into force."

From a legal point of view the supervisory body no longer
existed when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) gave DPA
the axe as part of the fourth constitutional amendment in August
last year.

Recently the MPR asked the head of state to issue a decree
formally dismissing DPA members.

Achmad claimed that the DPA could only be disbanded via a
decree from the MPR and a law mandated by MPR Decree No VI/2002,
which orders the President and the House of Representatives to
issue a law on DPA dissolution.

Achmad said DPA had been waiting for the law since August last
year.

According to the Presidential Decree No. 140/M/1998 DPA
members should only have served until June 11 this year.

The State Secretariat is drafting a decree on the retirement
of DPA members.

"The State Secretary, acting on behalf of the President,
verbally asked us to stop working," Achmad said.

Achmad said he had discussed the fate of the 200 employees of
the DPA with the Minister of Administrative Reform, the State
Secretary and the National Employee Body.

"They will be moved to other state institutions," he said.

Thousands of state employees were transferred to provincial
institutions following the imposition of regional autonomy in
2001.

Political observers have criticized the DPA for its
insignificance over the past few years. According to the 1945
Constitution, the council was intended to act as advisors to the
president, either on their own initiative or when asked. However,
in practice, few people have seen the council fulfill its duties.

Under the New Order, the council was seen to be the final
resting ground of former high-ranking officials and only a burden
to the cash-strapped government.