Sat, 30 Aug 2003

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.