Lawmakers show little interest in Constitutional Commission

Lawmakers show little interest in Constitutional Commission

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lawmakers with the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) ad hoc
committee (PAH) have shown little interest in the selection of
Constitutional Commission members as few have attended the
hearing process in the past few days.

The 44-strong ad hoc committee has been organizing a "public
hearing" with 62 candidates since Friday, but on average less
than half have attended the assessment.

The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) director Hadar N.
Gumay said the poor selection process could setback the
amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

However, some legislators defended the poor attendance, saying
that the hearing was just a supplementary assessment.

"This hearing is only part of the entire selection process. We
try to get more explanations from each candidate," said Alihardi
Kiai Demak of the United Development Party (PPP) faction on
Monday.

According to him, the previous process, which had selected 62
candidates out of 445 applicants, was more important.

The weight of the previous process was 75 percent while the
public hearing was only 25 percent, he said.

Fellow legislator Hobbes Sinaga of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction concurred with
Alihardi, saying the hearing was only supplementary.

"But, it will be much better if more committee members attend
the hearing," he added.

Hadar said the poor attendance showed the unwillingness of the
legislators to set up the Constitutional Commission -- tasked to
synchronize the four amendments to the 1945 Constitution in 1999,
2000, 2001, and 2002.

He feared that the poor selection process would result in the
selection of "wrong persons" that could disturb the amended
Constitution.

"Figures who do not agree with amendments can be selected if
the selection process is not good."

The Assembly's ad hoc committee has been questioning 62
candidates to explain their opinions about the constitutional
amendment from Sept. 26 through Oct. 4.

Each day, the legislators assess the opinion of nine
candidates. It was expected that the 31 members of the
Constitutional Commission would be installed on Oct. 7.

Among the figures that have presented their opinions before
lawmakers were Andi Muhammad Asrun, Surachman, Siti Musdah Mulia,
Usman Hasan, Taufiqurrohman Syahuri, Munir Fuady, Harry Azhar
Azis, Tisnaya Irawan Kartakusuma, Johny Mohammd Hidayat, Wasal
Falah, Sudirman Said, John Pieris, Budiman Sinaga, Nur Syamsi
Nurlan, Kaelany HD, Krisna Harahap, Sukma Adnan, and Soegeng
Handoko.

After the hearing, each legislator scored the candidates on a
scale of 50 to 100. The average score of each candidate will be
made at the end of the selection process on Oct. 4.