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.