House admits agenda in certain laws
House admits agenda in certain laws
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In commemorating its 58th anniversary, the much-criticized House
of Representatives admitted favoring certain political parties'
agendas, instead of the people's, in several legislations it has
made.
But it defended the political agenda, saying that the House is
a political institution and legislators are obliged to fight for
their own constituents.
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said it was impossible for
factions and legislators to put aside their political interests
in deliberating certain bills.
"But it is wrong to presume that factions and legislators
fight for their political parties's interests before national
interests," he said in a plenary meeting to mark the House's 58th
anniversary here on Friday.
He added that both the legislative body and the government
have been trying their best to fight for the interests of the
majority of people.
The House has been under fire for its bad performance.
It destroyed its own credibility with Akbar's refusal to step
down following the verdict of the Central Jakarta District Court,
which sentenced him three years imprisonment for involvement in a
Rp 40 billion graft case.
Besides reaching only around 30 percent of its legislative
targets, it has frequently been criticized for ignoring national
interests in deliberating certain strategic bills.
In particular, The House was fiercely criticized for the
endorsement of the controversial bills on the national education
system and on direct presidential elections.
It has also been criticized as many legislators have allegedly
taken bribes in deliberating certain bills and the draft state
budgets.
Akbar, also chairman of Golkar Party, the political engine of
former president Soeharto's 32-year repressive regime, admitted
"minor mistakes" in endorsing the contentious bill on the
presidential election.
"Despite political hurdles, it is not good for the public to
remain skeptical of state institutions, including the legislative
body, and such an attitude is positive in developing democracy,"
he said.
The presidential election law has been criticized because
certain major parties' political interests have dominated its
content, especially concerning formal requirements for
presidential candidates and on the naming of candidates.
Particularly, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) and Golkar succeeded to insert their political
interests in the law.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri would not be eligible to run
in the 2004 presidential election if the law required
presidential candidates to be university graduates, while Akbar
would not be eligible if presidential candidates were required to
be clean of jail sentences.
Minor political parties have also criticized the law, that
regulates that only parties winning at least five percent of the
total votes or three percent of seats in the House are allowed to
name their own presidential candidates.