House to re-deliberate broadcasting bill

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives will re-deliberate the controversial broadcasting bill which it passed last December for President Soeharto to sign into law.

Legislators said the move was unusual but that there was nothing wrong with re-deliberating a bill the House had already endorsed. One House member said there was potential for unrest if the bill was passed into law in its current state.

The chairman of the dominant Golkar faction, Moestahid Astari, and chairman of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) faction Hamzah Haz disclosed yesterday the plan to discuss the bill again.

The two legislators were quoted by Antara as saying they supported House Speaker Wahono's call for the bill's "crucial, substantial materials" to be re-deliberated.

"The Golkar faction is ready for the re-deliberation of the bill so that it can be signed into law soon. Of course, the re- deliberation will be on substantial matters only," Moestahid said.

He said the House and the government now had to find a mechanism to start fresh talks on the bill.

If the President signs the bill, it will become Indonesia's first broadcasting law.

Moestahid said all four House faction leaders should discuss the bill's key components with the government before summoning members to re-deliberate.

Hamzah said the House would discuss the bill again "for the sake of the country and its legal certainty."

Should there be any other matters that the government has found crucial and in need of re-deliberation, the PPP faction would also be ready, he said.

He said there was nothing wrong with re-deliberating a bill if the bill had the potential to cause unrest once passed into law.

"The honor of the House and the government will be at risk if a bill, which has the potential to cause social unrest, is signed into law," he said.

The bill is the first attempt to regulate Indonesia's flourishing broadcasting industry though legislation.

The industry currently operates under government regulations.

The bill, passed by the House on Dec. 9 after seven months of deliberation, restricts broadcasting stations from increasing their coverage area beyond the broadcasting frequency stipulated in their license.

Hamzah said the move to re-deliberate the bill was unusual.

"It is indeed not normal, but we are trying to accommodate people's aspirations," he said.

"The bill's materials have all been debated by the House, but there's nothing wrong with the House re-deliberating it with the government," he said.

The Golkar faction's Oka Mahendra said the House had done its job and it was now up to the President whether to sign the bill into law. (aan)