House establishes nine commissions
JAKARTA (JP): Division of labor in the House of Representatives (DPR) was endorsed on Monday, with its 500 members grouped into nine commissions.
In its maiden plenary session presided over by Speaker Akbar Tandjung, the House made the resumption of the investigation into the Bank Bali scandal top priority of its initial agenda, apart from its routine tasks.
"The investigation will be carried out by commissions II and IX dealing with legal and financial matters. The House will be transparent in the investigation to live up to public demand," he said.
He said the two commissions would start their investigation with the disclosure of the long-form version of the PricewaterhouseCoopers' audit report on the transfer of Rp 546 billion to a third party. The audit report was submitted by the Supreme Audit Agency to the House last week.
The previous House was split into eight commissions. But as far as job description is concerned, the new House very much resembles its predecessor.
The 58-member Commission I deals with defense and information matters, while the 58-member Commission II handles home affairs and legal matters.
The 56-member Commission III handles agriculture and horticulture matters, while the 56-member Commission IV oversees transportation and infrastructure affairs.
House Commission V, which comprises 55 members, will be in charge of industry and trade, while the 53-member Commission VI deals with religion and human resources matters.
Population and welfare matters are entrusted to Commission VII, which has 52 members, while mining and energy matters are left to the 54-member Commission VIII.
Commission IX with 54 members deals with financial and budgetary matters.
Leaders of the commissions will be elected on Tuesday.
In a related development, Taufik Kiemas, PDI Perjuangan legislator and husband of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, said that he and his brother-in-law Guruh Soekarnoputra would resign from the House for personal reasons. Taufik, however, refused to elaborate.
In response to the resignation bid, another PDI Perjuangan legislator, Roy B. Yanis, who chairs the party's Jakarta chapter, expressed his regret. He said his two colleagues could not just relinquish their House seats because they had been entrusted by their constituents to represent them in the legislative body.
"The presence of Taufik and Guruh is really needed at the House to channel their constituents' political aspirations," he said.
Taufik gained a seat in the House through the June 7 general election in his hometown in Palembang, South Sumatra, while Guruh represents PDI Perjuangan from East Java.
Meanwhile, Megawati, who chairs PDI Perjuangan, has ordered the party's representatives at provincial and regency legislatures to stay in their posts.
"Ibu Mega asked all councilors to stay in their posts and concentrate on their tasks in future developments instead," Soeratal, chairman of PDI Perjuangan's Central Java chapter, said in Semarang on Monday.
The instruction was issued in response to resignation plans by a number of regional legislators across the country, who were disappointed with the loss of Megawati in the presidential election last week. (05/edt/har/rms)