House leaders get behind Aceh deal

House leaders get behind Aceh deal

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several leaders of the House of Representatives have expressed
support for the government's plan to allow members of the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) to set up local political parties, a key GAM
demand for a lasting peace deal in Aceh but which has been
opposed by some lawmakers.

The positive sign emerged during a meeting late on Sunday at
the residence of Vice President Jusuf Kalla between top
government officials and executives from nine political parties
in the House. However, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), which has the second largest faction in the
House, was absent from the meeting.

House Speaker Agung Laksono, who is also deputy leader of the
Golkar Party, the largest faction in the House, said on Monday he
was optimistic the proposal on local parties would be endorsed by
the House.

House Deputy Speaker Zaenal Ma'arif of the Star Reform Party
(PBR) also was optimistic.

"Why wouldn't we endorse the proposal? We need to remember
that this is perhaps the only way to establish peace in Aceh. As
long as it is not against the Constitution, just go ahead," he
said.

The government and GAM leaders concluded a week of peace talks
on July 17 in Helsinki. One of the key points of the peace deal,
aimed at ending decades of conflict in oil-rich Aceh, is a
provision allowing GAM members to form local political parties as
vehicles to contest local elections.

Some lawmakers have strongly opposed the proposal, saying it
violates existing laws and could trigger other regions to demand
similar treatment.

Kalla is optimistic nine of the 10 factions in the House will
approve the local party proposal and provide a legal basis for
it, either by revising Law No. 18/2001 on special autonomy for
Aceh or Law No. 31/2002 on political parties.

Agung said most factions in the House would allow the
government to sign the peace deal with GAM on Aug. 15 without
first having to seek formal approval from the House.

But he said that before the signing, there would be a
consultative meeting between lawmakers and the government, during
which the government would explain the details of the peace deal
and seek input for its implementation.

"It will not be a forum to seek approval because it is an
agreement with Indonesians, not foreigners. But some elements in
the deal will need the House's approval, such as the granting of
amnesty (for rebels) and the creation of local parties in Aceh,"
said Agung, pointing out that revising the law on special
autonomy for Aceh or the law on political parties would require
the approval of the House.

Asked about the fact that some GAM leaders were no longer
Indonesian citizens, Agung said what mattered was that they
intended to re-embrace their Indonesian citizenship.

Some lawmakers had earlier demanded the government not sign
the deal without first obtaining the House's approval, arguing
that it was in essence a peace deal with foreigners.

There are eight points of the Helsinki peace deal, including:
terminating the conflict in Aceh peacefully and comprehensively;
granting amnesty for GAM members and restoring all of their
rights; GAM disarming and the Indonesian Military withdrawing
troops from Aceh from September to December; reorganizing the
Aceh administration with a clearer distinction of authority
between the central and local governments.

Other points include allowing former GAM members to contest
elections and set up national parties (the creation of local
parties will be discussed by the House sometime in the next 18
months); the government rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in
the conflict and integrating former GAM members back into
society; Aceh implementing transparent economic management; and
monitoring of the peace deal by teams from the European Union and
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.