Factions divided over ABRI representation in legislature
Factions divided over ABRI representation in legislature
JAKARTA (JP): As widely expected, factions in the People's
Consultative Assembly were divided on Thursday over the Armed
Forces' (ABRI's) representation in the legislative body.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction stuck to its guns
and insisted that the military should not be given seats in the
legislative bodies. Chapters 5 and 6 of the draft decree on the
structure of the House of Representatives/People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) guarantees the military seats in both bodies.
They said that if ABRI was to have seats in the two
legislative bodies then it must contest them in elections. They
also called for the two chapters to be dropped from the MPR draft
decree, saying the same ground was covered by the political bills
currently being deliberated by the House.
"It's the House that should decide on the matter," PPP
spokesman Djufrie Asmoredjo said.
However the other factions -- Golkar, the Armed Forces, the
Indonesian Democratic Party and the Regional Representatives --
said that ABRI should continue to be represented in the House by
a faction that would gradually be reduced in size over time. They
insisted the two chapters should be retained in the draft decrees
as "an umbrella" for the political bills.
The discourse took place during a meeting of Assembly
Commission A.
Also on Thursday, the Commission agreed to revoke the
extraordinary power granted to the president by the Assembly
during its March general session. The Commission also agreed to
limit the presidential and vice presidential terms in office to a
maximum of two.
Commission members -- many of whom participated in the March
session -- agreed that the extraordinary power should not have
been granted given its potential for misuse to violate the law
and human rights.
Achmad Rustandi, chairman of the ABRI faction, said the decree
should be lifted because the 1945 Constitution already grants the
president considerable power. More power could lead to an
authoritarian tendency on the part of current and future
presidents, he pointed out.
The ABRI faction cited the bad experience the nation has had
with its two previous presidents. In both cases, a long tenure in
office led to a concentration of power in the hands of the
country's two past presidents.
"Other state institutions, including the legislative bodies
and the Supreme Court did not function effectively during both
presidents' terms in office," he said.
Prof. Ali Hashmi, spokesman for the regional representatives
faction, agreed that a limitation to the presidential term in
office was needed to uphold democracy.
The PPP faction called for the new limit to be enshrined in
the Constitution to avoid any future misinterpretation.
"We can make changes and corrections to the Constitution now
because the 1988 MPR decree on referenda is to be lifted by the
Special Session," Robbani said in reference to a decree which
makes it necessary to hold a national referendum before making
any changes to the Constitution. (rms)