House asks 'TVRI' for live coverage of Mar'ie

House asks 'TVRI' for live coverage of Mar'ie

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives has officially
asked the state-owned television station TVRI to broadcast its
hearing with Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad live tomorrow,
an official of the House said over the weekend.

The request was made following Minister of Information R.
Hartono's recent statement that TVRI was the only authorized
station to air the session live and that the House secretary-
general should inform him before broadcasting live.

"We sent letters twice to TVRI on Wednesday and then on
Friday," said the official who asked for anonymity.

TVRI's news section head Yasirwan Uyun confirmed that the
state-owned TV station had received the letter Friday.

But, Yasirwan said, TVRI has not decided whether the hearing
will be broadcast live or not.

"The Ministry of Information, through the directorate general
for radio, television and film will decide on the matter today in
a meeting," Yasirwan told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

However, Yasirwan said a TVRI crew would install equipment
today.

"The equipment will be readied at the House of Representatives
and if the hearing is not broadcast live, it will be aired later
in the evening," Yasirwan said.

Private TV stations ANteve and SCTV were banned at the last
minute from broadcasting live Mar'ie's address on the
government's economic reform package in the House last Monday.

It was the first restriction imposed on private TV stations.

The session was widely awaited as it was to be Mar'ie's first
appearance in the House since the reform package, which resulted
in the closure of 16 insolvent banks.

Many people at the time wondered how Mar'ie would react to
President Soeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo's lawsuit for
the closing of Bank Andromeda, partly owned by Bambang.

The suit has since been dropped.

The House official said he was optimistic that TVRI would
broadcast the hearing live this time. But he could not speculate
on whether private TV stations would relay the program.

Information

Mar'ie is scheduled to meet with House Commission VIII on
state budget and finance tomorrow.

A House hearing with a government official is commonly marked
by debate and, although it is usually declared open to the
public, officials often unveil off-the-record information.

Hartono said Friday that House leaders should take into
consideration the possibility that Mar'ie would disclose such
information in the session.

"It's up to the House leaders whether to ask for live coverage
or not," Hartono said after attending a People's Consultative
Assembly session.

When asked why TVRI did not take the initiative to broadcast
live the much-awaited government explanation to the House Monday,
Hartono said the state-owned TV station did not work only for a
House session.

"There are many important state events. We cannot cover all of
them live," he said.

House Speaker Harmoko supported the idea to broadcast certain
House hearings live.

Harmoko was replaced by Hartono as minister of information
last July. (10/amd/prb)