DPD, President to consult regularly
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and leaders of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) agreed on Tuesday to meet every six months to discuss the various issues facing the country.
Talking to the press after a 30-minute meeting at Merdeka Palace, DPD Speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita said they also agreed that the ad hoc committees of the council and Cabinet members would meet regularly.
"We agreed to cooperate and have regular meetings between ministers and DPD ad hoc committees, which are similar to commissions of the House of Representatives (DPR)," he said.
During the meeting, Ginandjar was accompanied by DPD deputy speakers La Ode Ida and Erman Gusman.
He said the first meeting between the ad hoc committees and Cabinet members -- the Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Finance and Minister of National Education -- would be held within the next two days.
"We will speak with the home minister on a government regulation on direct election of regional heads, as well as the issue of provincial divisions," Ginandjar said.
According to Ginandjar, immediate issues included the draft 2005 state budget, which is still being deliberated by the House, and a revision to the 2003 state budget.
"We would also like to learn about the 100-day program from the government directly, so that we can inform the people and, if the people have further aspirations, we can convey them immediately to the government," Ginandjar said.
Other issues needing discussion is teachers' welfare and the national curriculum.
"These meetings are scheduled to take place in the next two days, as DPD members will visit provinces across the country from Nov. 5 to Nov. 23," he said.
The DPD comprises 128 members representing all 32 provinces of the country, who were directly elected in the April 5 legislative election.
The council's main duties include providing input in the deliberation of bills, especially those that have a direct implication on regions.
The DPD is currently seeking to revise the amended 1945 Constitution to allow them to stand on an equal footing with the House of Representatives, with which it is to meet annually as the People's Consultative Assembly.
During the meeting, Ginandjar also requested that the President postpone installing the new State Audit Agency (BPK) chairman, Anwar Nasution, as his appointment needed to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court to determine its legitimacy.
Nasution was appointed BPK chairman by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in her final days in office with House approval, although the selection of BPK members had been ongoing since June.
The DPD, on the other hand, was set up only on Oct. 1.
According to the amended Constitution, the appointment of a BPK chairman also required consultation with the DPD.
"The President has agreed to postpone the inauguration and wait for the Constitutional Court's decision, as the DPD will request its expertise on this issue," Ginandjar said.