Four legislators face dismissal in Banyumas

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto

The Banyumas Regency Legislative Council (DPRD) in Central Java province has recommended that four of its members be dismissed due to disciplinary misdemeanors.

DPRD Speaker Tri Waluyo Basuki said the recommendation was issued during a plenary session of the council on Wednesday. However, he declined to name the four accused legislators.

Three of the local legislators were believed to be members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), and the fourth is from the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

The PDI Perjuangan legislators were identified only by their initials as MK, STKN and DAR, while the PBB's member was named as Husen Al-Kaf. Husen has been accused of deceiving the public by using a forged academic certificate.

"We have given the four names to the leaders of their respective political parties. It is impossible for us to maintain them as DPRD members due to their actions," Waluyo said.

He further said the legislators were often absent from duties as they spent 90 percent of their time outside the DPRD.

Waluyo argued that based on DPRD regulations, legislators who breached the council's disciplines were subject to punishment.

Any punishment should be imposed by a special body dealing with violations committed by the legislators in question, he added.

It is common in Indonesia that many legislators in both the central and regional legislative councils abandon meetings and other sessions, and instead busy themselves in their personal business affairs.

Some come to their office to sign the attendance book but leave the council meeting after several minutes.

Such disciplinary offenses have started to irk House of Representatives leaders in Jakarta, who have promised to take firm action against any violators.

Activists from several non-governmental organizations and analysts have urged some legislators, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas, to quit the House for frequently failing to attend House sessions.

Apart from that, Taufik's resignation would prevent a conflict of interest between him as a member of the House and his wife in the executive body, observers said.