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)