House workload up as campaign looms
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives (DPR) will open on Monday its first sitting session in 2004, but party commitments ahead of the legislative election in April have cast doubt over the politicians' ability to stay focused on their current tasks.
The DPR session begins on Jan. 19 and will end on March 10, just a day before the start of the election campaign period, which will run from March 11 through April 1, 2004.
The polling day will be on April 5.
Director of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) Smita Notosusanto asked the legislators not to be absent from House meetings despite campaign concerns.
"They (the legislators) must keep their legislative duties as their top priority. They should not skip House meetings for the preparation for the election campaign," Smita told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Smita's concern is based on recent facts.
During the closing session of the last House session on Dec. 19, only about 150 of 500 legislators attended.
The Mass Communications Forum (FKM), an organization grouping journalists covering the House, assumed that absenteeism among the legislators would worsen in the coming months as politicians would be busy with their preparations for the polls.
The forum's data compiled last year showed that most House legislators attended less than 30 percent of the meetings.
With less than three months available, the House will need to deliberate at least 38 bills in the new session, including the much-criticized water resource bill, the legislation drafting procedure bill, the freedom of information bill and the Batam free trade zone bill.
The lawmakers will also discuss major issues, including the fish poaching and illegal logging in border areas and Australia's plan to build an anti-missile defense system.
A member of the House Commission I for defense and foreign affairs Djoko Susilo said the commission would summon Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda for a hearing on the Australian defense system.
Djoko said the commission would also hold a joint meeting with Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa, State Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Rokhmin Dahuri and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar to discuss security problems in border areas.
Asked whether the legislators could endorse the freedom of information bill during the next sitting period, Djoko said he doubted it.
He said a difference of opinion among legislators regarding the contents of the bill remained unbridgeable.
"The situation will be even worse because the legislators will switch their focus to campaigning," said Djoko, who has won his renomination as National Mandate Party (PAN) legislative candidate representing Surabaya.
A member of House Commission IV for infrastructure and transport affairs, Amri Husni Siregar, said the endorsement of the water resource bill would depend greatly on the public's response.
He said he hoped people would support the bill.
"If public resistance remains strong, the bill's endorsement may be delayed," Amri said in Medan, North Sumatra, while visiting his constituents.
List of bills to be discussed in current session
----------------------------------------------------------- No. Bills Status ============================================================ 1. Water Resource in process of deliberation 2. Procedure of legislation in process 3. Witness Protection at State Secretariat 4. Discrimination Eradication at State Secretariat 5. Ombudsman at State Secretariat 6. Fishery at State Secretariat 7. Agriculture at State Secretariat 8. Postal Affairs being drafted 9. Batam free trade at State Secretariat 10. Sports at State Secretariat 11. Medical Practice at State Secretariat 12. Migrant Workers Protection at State Secretariat 13. Domestic Violence at State Secretariat 14. National Insurance at State Secretariat 15. Bank Liquidation at State Secretariat 16. Banking Credit being drafted 17. Bankruptcy ready for deliberation 18. Financial Authority ready for deliberation 19. Insurance Law revision ready for deliberation 20. Banking law revision ready for deliberation 21. Pension Law revision ready for deliberation 22. Capital Market Law revision ready for deliberation 23. State Administrative Court in process of deliberation 24. Public Courts in process of deliberation 25. Attorney's Office in process of deliberation 26. Judicial Commission at State Secretary 27. Jakarta Administration being drafted 28. Financial Accountability in process of deliberation 29. Presidency at State Secretary 30. Freedom of Information being drafted 31. West Sulawesi at State Secretary 32. Anti-terrorism not clear 33. Anti-terrorism implementation not clear 34. Foundation Law revision in process of deliberation 35. State Secrecy being drafted 36. Truth Commission in process of deliberation 37. Pornography being drafted 38. Workers insurance revision being drafted --------------------------------------------------------------- Source: House Secretariat