House still split over Aceh peace deal
House still split over Aceh peace deal
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The leaders of the House of Representatives are divided on
whether or not the body's official seal of approval is needed for
the peace agreement between the government and the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM) to become legally effective.
The leaders expressed their views ahead of Tuesday's meeting
between House speakers, commission leaders and faction leaders
and president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to discuss the peace
accord, which is expected to be signed in Helsinki, Finland, on
Aug. 15. The deal would put an end to three decades of conflict
in the resource-rich province of Aceh.
Deputy speaker Zaenal Maarif of the Reform Star Party said
that the accord did not need the approval of the House because it
was purely a domestic affair.
"The signing of the Helsinki agreement does not require the
House's approval because it is between Indonesian parties and
does not involve a foreign country." he asserted, as quoted by
Antara. "We have to appreciate the government's breakthrough."
On the other hand, the deputy chairman of Commission I on
defense and foreign relations, Effendy Choirie, said that because
international security monitors were involved, the House's
approval was needed.
"Even though the bulk of the agreement is between the
Indonesian government and a domestic separatist movement, the
accord still involves foreign parties," he added.
He said that his faction, the National Awakening Party (PKB),
would officially ask for the reconvening of a special plenary
session of the House to discuss the peace accord.
He said that if the House did not state its official position
on the accord, it would not be responsible for any resulting
failures.
"The risk would lie solely with the government," he said.
He also questioned the validity of the presence of
international observers in Aceh ahead of the signing of the
agreement.
"The agreement has not been signed, yet foreign observers are
already in Aceh. What is going on and why must foreigners be
involved?" asked Choirie.
Maarif said that the presence of the observers before the
signing should not be turned into a political issue.
"They are probably there just to do some early preparations,"
he said.
Head of the Democratic Pioneer Star faction Djamaluddin Karim
said that they were not against the Helsinki agreement, but
insisted that the House's approval was needed for two sensitive
issues in the agreement: amnesty for GAM members and the
establishment of local political parties in Aceh.
He said that his faction was debating about whether or not GAM
members should be allowed to set up their own local political
parties in the province.
Tjahjo Kumolo, who heads the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle faction, who has been a strong opponent of the Helsinki
agreement, said his faction would attend the consultative meeting
with the President.
"We refuse the agreement," he said. "However, we will attend
the consultative meeting."
He said he would lodge a protest with the government because
the negotiations took place on foreign soil, was sponsored by a
foreign party and did not involve Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Under the draft peace deal, the Indonesian Military (TNI) will
have to withdraw its reinforcement troops within three months of
the signing, while the rebels have to immediately hand over their
weaponry for destruction. The process will be supervised by a
group of independent foreign monitors.
Two previous governments had attempted to secure peace with
GAM, but both of those failed.