Golkar recruits experts to help legislators

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)