House passes international agreements bill

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives on Wednesday officially passed a bill on international agreements which will give greater power to legislators to intervene in government decisions to enter into international agreements.

In a plenary session led by House deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno and attended by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is currently filling in for Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab, all 10 factions in the House approved the 22-article law which repeals Presidential Decree No. 286/1960 on Concluding International Agreements with Foreign Powers.

"We call on all parties to pay attention to Article 10 of the Law which stipulates that foreign loans should be approved by the House," Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) spokesman Amris Hasan said.

Amris said his faction insisted that all agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning the State Budget (APBN) should have regard to the new law.

He said the House should start to increase its supervision over foreign loans.

Meanwhile, Golkar party faction spokesman Happy Bone Zulkarnaen viewed the approval as a sign of the end of the executive's domination.

"The Law aims to give more control and power to the House within the framework of a checks and balances system," Happy said.

He stressed that the involvement of the House in international agreements, especially those concerning foreign loans, would improve transparency.

He added that his faction is demanding the House soon draft a bill on foreign loans and grants. (jun)