House of Representatives told to ignore weakened PDI

JAKARTA (JP): The weakened Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction should not be a factor in the House of Representatives' internal rules amendment, experts said over the weekend.

Political analyst Arbi Sanit and constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra said in a seminar Saturday the House should make changes independent of the PDI which was weakened following its massive election defeat. The legislative body should focus on its effort to draw up new internal rules which enable it to exercise control over the government, they said.

"The House doesn't need to think too much about PDI's underrepresentation. It's unfair to save a small group at the expense of the majority," Arbi said.

PDI won 11 of the 425 contested seats in the May 29 general election, not enough for the party to field representatives at all regular and special sessions. Golkar won 325 seats, the United Development Party (PPP) 89, while the remaining 75 seats have been reserved for the Armed Forces whose members do not vote.

Chiefs of Golkar, PDI, PPP and the Armed Forces factions are now negotiating the possibility to cut the House's 11 commissions.

Arbi suggested the campaign for internal rules amendment had been waged to save the PDI from a reduced role.

"The amendment has been arranged to help the government maintain the status quo, rather than to heed public will," he said.

Yusril said reducing the number of House commissions would not change PDI's status as a minority party. "PDI's role remains indecisive despite fewer commissions, compared to those of Golkar or PPP," he said.

He said the House had always abided by the principle of communal harmony in its decision-making process and applied voting as the last resort.

The current rule says representatives of all four factions are needed to meet a quorum at any session.

"But it doesn't mean that the House must force itself to help PDI," Yusril said.

Denial

Golkar legislator Syamsul Mu'arif, who chairs the House committee established to review the internal rules, denied that the PDI case had prompted the amendment.

"The plan was initiated seven years ago under then house speaker Kharis Suhud," said Syamsul, who also spoke at the seminar. He said the proposal was dropped after the dominant Golkar faction voted against it.

Syamsul said the new internal rules would simplify the procedures that House legislators must follow to exercise their constitutional rights.

The House has extended the deadline for the committee to complete the deliberation until September. Previously the committee was expected to finish its task today.

Arbi criticized the committee for failing to touch on the most important issue, namely the empowerment of the House in the face of the government's excessive power.

"A strong House emerges if it has independent legislators who are prepared to reach decisions through voting," Arbi said. The current rule prevents an individual legislator from having a different opinion from his or her faction, he said.

Yusril and another speaker, constitutional law expert Sri Soemantri, joined the call for a strong House, saying the constitution places the House at the same level as the President.

"The internal rules should make it easy for the House to serve as the body that controls the government," Yusril said. (amd)