House has to pass 25 draft laws in 18 weeks

House has to pass 25 draft laws in 18 weeks

By Sugianto Tandra

JAKARTA (JP): Last Thursday, the House of Representatives
(DPR) passed a draft law limiting monopolistic business
practices, the first initiative of the House in decades.

However, legislators will find the next 18 weeks to be their
busiest ever, as they still have a total of 25 draft laws to
deliberate.

But will they sacrifice substance to meet the target?

"It will depend on the discussion techniques (during the
deliberations). Not making a mountain out of a molehill with
unsubstantial matters, for instance... We'll invite experts to
give their insights," Hari Sabarno, deputy speaker of the House
of Representatives (DPR), said.

Hari admitted that an 11-member faction like the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) would find it hard to keep up with the
bill deliberations, as the House is determined to work day and
night to finish them.

One of the major decrees from November's general session of
the People's Consultative Assembly, of which the legislators are
members, was to do away with all forms of collusion, corruption
and nepotism. The antimonopoly bill is a result of this decree.

Hari, who is an active Army lieutenant general and member of
the ABRI faction in the DPR, said all concerned members of the
public are not only urged to give their input, "but obliged" to
as citizens of the country.

Hari said incumbent legislators have until Aug. 29 to
deliberate the bills before the next House members elected in the
June 7 polls take over their seats.

The current DPR has six months left, minus the recess of one
and a half months for the elections from April 17 until June 14.
So four and a half months remain for bill deliberations.

Earlier, cabinet deputy secretary Erman Radjagukguk showed
optimism in the effectiveness of the new laws despite the tight
schedule. He said there were a number of laws which had been in
preparation since four years ago.

Some of the laws being deliberated by the 500 House members
are said to be the initiative of the House itself -- for
instance, the bill on consumer protection and that on the
administration of haj pilgrimages.

The draft legislation covers the following issues:

* consumer protection

* the central bank

* foreign exchange traffic and bill rate system

* 1999/2000 state budget

* administration of the haj pilgrimage

* measures to prevent corruption, collusion and nepotism

* regional administration

* fiscal balance between the central and regional governments

* eradication of corrupt practices

* human rights and the National Commission on Human Rights

* foreign affairs

* oil and natural gas

* construction services

* amendments of the Criminal Code concerning crimes against the
state

* ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination, 1965

* arbitration of and alternative choices to dispute settlements

* revocation of the referendum law

* revocation of Law No. 11/1963 on subversion

Seven other draft laws concern the changing of status of seven
regions to regencies or mayoralties: Sambas in West Kalimantan,
Cilegon and Depok in West Java, Dumai and Batam in Riau, Ternate
in Maluku and Luwu in Central Sulawesi.

Hari said that, as time is limited, the deliberations would be
prioritized.

At least nine draft laws could see short deliberations due to
their brevity, he said.

Last on the priority list were the draft laws on natural gas
and construction services.

The draft laws on arbitration and alternative choices to the
settlement of disputes -- which is sponsored by the International
Monetary Fund -- and on the ratification of the
antidiscrimination convention, were others which legislators were
expected to pass without much trouble, Hari said.

He said more lengthy deliberation was expected on the 12 other
drafts. They would be investigated by special commissions, with
legislators ready to work for more than 12 hours a day, Hari
said.

Legislators will be paid between Rp 500,000 (US$60) to Rp
700,000 each for each bill in which they are involved.

Apart from the House building in Central Jakarta, Hari said
the DPR was considering letting two special committees make use
of its facility in Cisarua in the Puncak mountain resort area of
West Java to deliberate the bills.

Public hearings on the bills, however, would be a priority, he
said.