House starts inquiry on fuel price hikes

House starts inquiry on fuel price hikes

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some 31 legislators from seven factions submitted to the House of
Representatives leadership on Thursday a petition asking the
House to use its investigative rights to probe into the
government's much-criticized fuel hikes.

The petition was given by Aria Bima, a legislator of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to Deputy House
Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno who pledged to convey it to the
next meeting of the House's steering committee, which would then
bring it to a plenary session for approval.

Soetardjo said the House leadership could understand the
legislators' petition because the government had raised the fuel
prices despite earlier objections from lawmakers.

The government had also been accused of violating Law No.
36/2004 on the 2005 state budget and Law No. 17/2004 on state
finances, both of which require the government to seek the
House's approval for budget allocations.

"The petition is valid and therefore it will be followed up
immediately in accordance with the House's internal rulings. The
(current) government is wilting because just in the first four
months the President is already being jostled by strong wave of
demonstrations and a petition from lawmakers," he said.

Aria Bima said he and his colleagues could not accept the
government's recent decision to raise fuel prices by an average
of 30 percent, after it previously raised the price of liquefied
petroleum gas by 41 percent.

The price hikes have reduced the people's purchasing power and
showed the absence of the government's sense of crisis, he said.

"With the proposed inquiry, our main target is to investigate
the validity of the government's decision to raise fuel prices,
to uphold good and clean governance, and to exercise the House's
budgetary and supervisory function," Aria said.

Asked about the petition's ultimate target, Aria said that
according to the Constitution, the House was allowed to recommend
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) hold a special session
if the government's decision to raise the fuel prices was proven
unconstitutional.

However, it has become more difficult for the MPR to impeach
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because the President is now
directly elected by the people.

Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid was the last president impeached
by MPR in a special session in June, 2001.

Ali Masjkur Musa, whose faction called for an inquiry, said he
was optimistic that the House would agree to carry out an
investigation into the case because it has won political support
from at least seven factions.

The factions putting their weight behind the petition include
the PDI-P, National Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party
(PAN), United Development Party (PPP), Prosperity and Peace Party
(PDS).

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction has expressed its
opposition to the fuel price hike but had not determined whether
to support the petition or not.

The Golkar Party, the biggest faction in the House, said it
could understand the government's decision but asked the
government to prevent prices of other commodities from soaring
and ensure the compensation payouts to the poor would reach their
target.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party said it wholeheartedly
supported the decision.

Golkar is led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, while the
Democrats are lead and co-founded by Susilo.

The House's steering committee has agreed to schedule an
internal consultative meeting on Monday to decide whether to
accept the PDI-P's proposed plenary session.