House of Representatives told to ignore weakened PDI

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)