House resumes session with heavy workload

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.