Golkar recruits experts to help legislators

JAKARTA (JP): Following its landslide victory in the May 29 general election, Golkar is recruiting economic and legal experts to advise its representatives in the House of Representatives.

Golkar Secretary-General Ary Mardjono told reporters yesterday that the consultants will be made available to the grouping's legislators in each of the House's 11 commissions to help them perform better.

Golkar won 325 of the 425 House contested in the May 29 general election. The new House members will be sworn in by President Soeharto on Oct. 1.

"We will need 35 experts to help the (Golkar) legislators in all 11 commissions," Ary said.

Golkar legislators in each commission will be assisted by three experts, while the remaining two experts will each be assigned as Head and Secretary of the board of experts. Golkar will be the first faction in the House of Representatives to retain consultants.

There have been frequent calls for House members to receive the benefit of consultants, in the hope that such a change might bring about an improvement in the legislators' performance, which cynics describe as a simple "rubber stamping" of government proposals.

The consultants will be selected from candidates who have a sound knowledge of legislation, accounting, management, government administration and development planning, Ary said.

He said the experts would help Golkar legislators prepare data on and analysis of state budgeting, legislation and responses to public complaints.

The experts will also be required to prepare documents for discussion at meetings of each commission and for every hearing with government officials, he added.

Ary denied suggestions that Golkar had decided to recruit experts because its legislators had been performing poorly.

He said the Golkar faction would employ senior and junior experts.

"It is difficult to find senior experts who are willing to work full-time, five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.," he said. "Therefore, the senior experts will work on a part-time basis, while the juniors will be full-timers."

Ary said he was sure that Golkar would be able to complete its recruitment of consultants by Oct. 1.

"Fifteen experts on economics, law, accounting and development planning have applied for the vacancies," he said, adding that the consultants would be appointed for a period of five years.

Ary said the consultants' salaries would be "a bit lower" than those of Golkar legislators. The monthly salary of House members is about Rp 4.5 million.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the United Development Party (PPP), Usamah Hisyam, said the party would soon discuss the possibility of recruiting its own consultants.

"Several party members have proposed the idea," he told The Jakarta Post. "It will have to be discussed at the upcoming board meeting.

To date, the House factions of Golkar, the PPP, the Indonesian Democratic Party and the Armed Forces have invited experts to address them on various subjects as the need has arisen. (imn)