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.