Election results may worsen House's performance: Expert
Election results may worsen House's performance: Expert
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The national legislature will resume sitting on Monday until
early July, involving many members who are unlikely to be
reelected for another five-year term.
The resulting lack of morale in the House and the threat of
corruption meant these legislators should continue deliberating
the remaining mountain of bills but should not endorse them,
analyst Mohammad Qodari of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI)
said.
"The election has taken place and new House members have been
elected, therefore the legislators should not make fundamental
decisions," Qodari said. "They have lost their legitimacy, but
they should continue their work," Qodari told The Jakarta Post.
The General Elections Commission is expected to announce the
official result of the April 5 legislative elections and the
elected legislators by the end of this month; however ongoing
tallies show the parties of many legislators will have a
declining share of the 550 seats compared to their 1999 results.
Many legislators were either not picked by their parties for
the next term or were placed too low on their party candidate
lists to win seats.
Qodari was also responding to fears about the impact on new
legislation if legislators on the way out failed to turn up to
House sessions.
Former legislator Ichsanuddin Noorsy is among those who have
raised fears legislators would use the remainder of their terms
to take bribes. Among the priorities of the finance commission
for the next sitting period is the selection of the Supreme Audit
Agency heads and board members.
Apprehension has also been raised about the impact of rushed
deliberations on important legislation the passing of laws with
contentious content.
Citing the revision of the regional autonomy law, Qodari said
legislators should not revive a "centralistic approach" and
instead support ideas for direct gubernatorial and regental
elections.
Andi Mattalatta, a legislator of the commission in charge of
home and legal affairs which will oversee changes in the regional
autonomy law, said faction leaders in the House "must encourage
their members to perform well in the remaining term."
He said the House's performance would also likely be affected
by the presidential election slated for July 5.
In the previous session before the recess for campaigning in
early April, the House had aimed to finish deliberating 54 bills.
It had only endorsed four.
Baharuddin Aritonang, a member of the House's Legislation Body
(Baleg), who failed to be reelected, promised he would keep
focused on his job.
He denied speculation legislators who were not reelected would
use the remaining time to extort money. "Had I had such
intentions, I could have done so from the beginning of my term,"
Aritonang said.