House agrees to decrease commissions to 8

House agrees to decrease commissions to 8

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives has approved an
internal reorganization that would shrink the current 11
commissions to only eight.

Syamsul Mu'arif, who chairs a special committee in charge of
deliberating the House's internal rule amendments, said yesterday
that fewer commissions would help prevent hurdles in the
decision-making process stemming from the underrepresented
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The party, beleaguered by protracted internal conflicts,
gained only 11 of 425 legislative seats in the May 29 general
election -- not enough to field its representatives in any
regular or special sessions.

Syamsul said the House leadership was expected to give its
formal approval of the draft of the internal rule amendments
tomorrow. House leaders will then arrange a plenary session to
pass the amendments, which Syamsul said would take place at the
end of the House term on Sept. 30.

"House leadership agreed on the draft during our lobbying, and
it's almost certain the plenary session will pass it," Syamsul of
the Golkar faction said.

If the regrouping goes into effect, the next House will have
commissions dealing with defense, security and legal affairs;
foreign policy and internal affairs; agriculture, food and
transmigration; transportation and infrastructure; trade and
industry, which includes cooperatives; social welfare; religious
affairs and education, including technology; and finance, state
budget and statistics.

Syamsul said the tiny PDI faction did not deserve any
chairmanship seat in the eight commissions. Four of the seats
will go to the dominant Golkar faction, while the United
Development Party and the Armed Forces will receive two seats
respectively.

Golkar, which won the majority of votes in the May election,
will field 325 legislators in the next House's five-year period,
which starts on Oct. 1. PPP will have 89 members, while the Armed
Forces, whose members do not vote, secured 75 House seats
reserved for it.

After the regrouping, each commission will comprise an average
of 60 legislators, 15 more than the previous commission
membership average.

Syamsul said a bigger commission should not diminish the right
of each commission member to speak out because the amended rule
stipulates longer working hours.

Legislators will work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and have extra
hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"Efficiency is another reason for the regrouping of the
commissions," Syamsul said of the extended working hours.

The amended rule maintains the minimum attendance of more than
half of commission members who represent all of the four House
factions. It, however, adds a clause that whenever PDI
representatives fail to show up, a session will only need a
letter of approval from the faction's leadership.

"It's unfair if a session is canceled merely because of the
absence of a PDI legislator. A tyranny of the minority must not
occur," Syamsul said.

The amended internal rule also simplifies procedures for
legislators to exercise their rights. Only ten people are
required for the House to demand for a government explanation
over a certain policy, to make a statement of support or
opposition against a policy, to propose an investigation and to
sponsor a bill.

Except for the right to hold an inquiry on government
policies, the last three rights require support from at least two
factions.

According to the new draft, a commission is obligated to
receive public complaints on issues under its jurisdiction,
unless the public means to meet a certain faction.

Syamsul said the House rejected a PPP proposal to allow the
legislative body to draw up its own budget. According to Syamsul,
however, the government promised to allocate more funds to each
faction. (amd)