Few hot issues to watch at MPR session

Few hot issues to watch at MPR session

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The proposal for the reestablishment of the Regional faction
(FUD) at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will likely be
decided when 700 lawmakers start their 10-day Annual Session here
on Thursday.

The first agenda of the session will be a revision to the
internal rules of the Assembly, which is expected to include a
revival of the regional representatives faction.

Asnawi Latief from the Daulat Umat faction (FDU) said that an
informal meeting of faction leaders had agreed to place the
revival of the faction on top of the agenda.

"Regional representatives have threatened to disrupt the
session should the Assembly fail to set up the regional faction,"
Asnawi told reporters here on Wednesday.

Asnawi added that a series of interruptions, which might be
carried out by the 135 regional representatives, could disrupt
the session.

Meanwhile, a regional representative from Central Kalimantan,
Nusa J. Toendan, said his camp already had a strategy to pave the
way for the revival of the faction.

"We will make an all-out fight for the reestablishment of the
regional faction," he said.

According to him, the revival of the regional faction had been
settled by an Assembly decree during its Annual Session in 2000.

Nusa confirmed that his team had met Minister of Justice and
Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra for advice on the
reestablishment of the regional faction. "The minister has shown
his support," he said.

The 700-strong Assembly comprises 500 members of the House of
Representatives, 65 members of various interest groups and 135
regional representatives.

FUD was disbanded during the 1999 General Session of the
Assembly on the grounds that the faction had been manipulated by
Golkar for its own political interest in the past.

However, regional representatives proposed the revival of the
faction at the Annual Session in 2000.

A series of deliberations by an ad hoc committee had created a
distinction among the Assembly's factions. The Crescent Star
faction (FBB) and National Unity faction (FKKI) fully endorsed
the revival of the regional faction.

Golkar, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the
Police/Military and the interest groups backed the proposal on
certain conditions.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
the United Development Party (PPP) and the Reform faction have
rejected the revival of the regional faction.

Apart from deliberating the revival of the regional faction,
the 10-day-long session is also slated to deliberate
constitutional amendment and to enact four decrees. The four
decrees are on the ethics for nationhood, statehood and social
interaction, on agrarian reform, on Indonesia's vision and on the
eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism.

The session will also deliberate the proposal for the
enactment of a decree on economic recovery. The decree focuses on
the reconstruction of the economy, foreign debt, international
relations, budget, the empowerment of small enterprises and
regional development.