House resumes session with heavy workload
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After a two-month recess, members of the House of Representatives are scheduled to reconvene on Monday to resume their workload, including the deliberation of contentious bills.
Of the targeted 53 bills from the past legislative session, the House endorsed only 18 of them. This means there are at least 35 bills waiting to be discussed during this current session.
Legislators will also continue the debate of the much-awaited bills on direct presidential and vice presidential elections and the composition of legislative bodies.
Other unfinished business includes the selection of Bank Indonesia governor through a fit-and-proper test on three candidates proposed by the President.
The candidates are Miranda S. Goeltom, Cyrilius Harinowo and Burhanuddin Abdullah, who are among BI's top brass.
A member of the House's legislative body, Baharuddin Aritonang, said on Sunday that the House would focus its attention on the Aceh problem during the plenary meeting, which marks the beginning of the sitting period.
"Possibly, a number of legislators will demand more attention be given to the latest developments in Aceh," Aritonang said, referring to the possibility of the peace agreement, signed by the government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel group, breaking down.
Coincidentally, the Cabinet will also decide measures to respond to the failed peace talks on Aceh.
The plenary House meeting will hear an opening speech by House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and letters from the government and proposals from legislators. Interruptions had marred previous meetings presided by Akbar, in which legislators questioned Akbar's appropriateness due to his conviction in a graft case.
Criticism has been rife against the House's poor performance in legislative activities. Backroom deals among the House's factions and poor discipline of legislators were to blame for the legislative body being unable to meet its target, not to mention its failure to produce quality, long-standing legislations.
On average, the House finishes less than 10 percent of the targeted bills during a sitting period.
Many of the bills were deliberated amid poor attendance of legislators, raising doubts of their validity.
However, legislators said they were absent from deliberation of certain bills to take part in the debate of other bills.
Currently, the House's legislative body is preparing a draft of amendments to the House's internal regulations, including a revision of the mechanism of legislation, which will require the physical presence of House members during a session to endorse a bill.
The House, to some extent, deserves credit for its participation in the national drive against corruption.
It formed a special committee tasked with the investigation into alleged graft in state oil firm Pertamina. The team implicated a number of cronies of former president Soeharto, including the current People's Consultative Assembly deputy speaker, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, who was a minister under Soeharto's long-time rule. The committee also asked the Attorney General's Office to conduct a formal investigation into the graft cases, a call which remains unanswered.
List of bills for further deliberation: Direct presidential election, Composition of legislative bodies, Freedom of information, Amendments to Bank Indonesia Law, State treasury, State finance accountability, Mechanism of legislation enactment, Terrorism eradication, National education system, Industrial dispute settlement, Bankruptcy, Attorneys, Migrant workers protection, Batam free trade area, Postal affairs, Formation of West Sulawesi province, Fishery, Agriculture, Witness protection, Race discrimination eradication, Supreme Court, State administrative court, General court, Jakarta administration, Judicial commission, Constitutional court, Ombudsman, Presidency, Sports, Geothermal, Bank liquidation, Justice authorities, Medical practice, Establishment of some regencies.