House workload up as campaign looms

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
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Source: House Secretariat