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.