Golkar opposes new commission to amend constitution

Golkar opposes new commission to amend constitution

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar, the second largest party in the House of
Representatives (DPR), is against the proposed establishment of
an independent commission in charge of amending the 1945
Constitution, its chairman Akbar Tandjung said here on Thursday.

Akbar said there wasn't any urgent need for the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) to set up such a special commission.

"Golkar, through its faction in the Assembly, will not support
the proposal because there is no obligation on the part of the
MPR to set up the commission," Akbar told The Jakarta Post.

"We are sure the Assembly's Working Committee will be able to
complete the amendments in 2002 as required by MPR Decree
No.9/2000," he said.

Under the decree the Assembly's Working Committee is assigned
to prepare the amendments and its work is expected to be
completed in 2002.

Akbar, who is also the DPR speaker, denied accusations that
political parties, including Golkar, would be trapped by their
own political interests if they were involved in preparing the
amendments.

"The Assembly and all the factions are open to any input from
the public. They have also cooperated with 30 experts from
various disciplines in deliberating the Constitution's
substance," he said.

The issue regarding the commission's establishment arose after
President Megawati Soekarnoputri stressed in her state-of-the-
nation speech on Aug. 16 the importance of a special commission
in charge of amending the Constitution.

However, not a single faction of the Assembly has thus far
given its support to the President's idea or submitted its
proposal to the working committee, to be brought to the
Assembly's annual session scheduled for Nov. 1.

Separately, Sophan Sophiaan, a chairman of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said his party
fully supported the President's concept, even though its faction
had yet to officially lodge a proposal to the working committee.

"The party's executive board has yet to instruct its faction
to send an official proposal to the Assembly to be discussed in
the annual session," he said.

Sabam Sirait, a PDI Perjuangan party member, said it was just
a matter of time before his faction made an official proposal
because it was still awaiting other factions' responses to the
President's proposal.

"As there is still plenty of time before the annual session,
our faction is awaiting other factions' responses to the
President's proposal," he said.

Megawati reiterated on Thursday the urgency for the
establishment of the constitutional commission and public
participation to support current efforts to amend the 1945
Constitution.

"The area, range and vision of the amendments should be
further detailed by the commission. Of course the authority to
decide the amendments still lies in the hands of the Assembly,"
Megawati said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a seminar on development
strategy at the State Palace, the President further said that
public participation was also important.

"The Assembly should inform the public about the
amendments ... and I have suggested this before," Megawati
remarked.

Meanwhile, MPR Speaker Amien Rais said he was not sure whether
the Assembly would later decide to establish a constitutional
commission because so far, no factions had brought the idea to
the working committee.

"MPR is open to good proposals from anyone, including the
President ... The President's idea constitutes a sympathetic
proposal. So, it would be logical and rational if PDI Perjuangan
brought the proposal to the Assembly," he said.

He said the MPR would set up the commission if the idea of its
establishment gained support from both the PDI Perjuangan and
Golkar factions, which dominate both the Assembly and the Working
Committee.

Asked as to who should serve on the commission, Amien said the
matter would depend on the Assembly.

"I cannot decide the matter but, in my opinion, the
commission's members should be experts from various backgrounds,
including universities, political parties, religious
organizations and the informal sector, who have a broad vision
about the Indonesian nation," he said. (dja/rms)