Legislators represent party: Yogie
Legislators represent party: Yogie
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar's recent expulsion of Bambang Warih Koesoemo, a legislator in the dominant political group, has spawned a constitutional debate over who is actually represented by members of the House of Representatives (DPR) -- the people or their political organizations?
The government's position on this was made clear by Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. when he spoke to reporters yesterday after a hearing with House Commission II to discuss the budget of his ministry. "They represent the political organizations."
Reporters, armed with a fresh statement by former House Speaker Amir Machmud stating that elected representatives represented the people, pestered the minister on this point over and over, until he cracked: "Who said that?"
A legislator should serve his organization. If he makes an error, he should answer to his organization, the minister said.
Yogie refrained from commenting specifically on the Golkar expulsion of Bambang, who was highly regarded as an outspoken House member. Instead, he said that the matter was not yet resolved and that House Speaker Wahono, who has the final say, is still in deliberation over the matter.
He said that the matter should be discussed between Golkar leaders and the House speakers.
Golkar leaders sent a letter to Wahono proposing the removal of Bambang for having fallen outside of the group's official line on a number of speaking occasions in the House. Golkar leaders also presented Wahono with a letter addressed to President Soeharto, making the same request.
Amir Machmud, who was speaker of the House between 1983 and 1988, told reporters on Saturday that in his opinion, a legislators's loyalty should go first and foremost to the people, and not to the political organization they represent.
Although they were appointed by their political groups, and not directly elected by the people, they took an oath upon joining the House stating that they would fight for the interests of the people and the country, he said.
It was this argument that he used when he, as House speaker, turned down a request by the United Development Party (PPP) to withdraw one of its legislators from the House.
"The House Speaker has every right to turn down a political organization's request to withdraw a legislator if he views the request as unfounded and made in an arbitrary manner," said Amir, who once served as minister of home affairs and is also a senior Golkar politician.
Indonesian voters elect the political organizations of their choice during general elections held every five years to determine the composition of 400 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives. The other 100 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.
Golkar leaders argue that legislators owe their seats to the organization and therefore it has every right to have them removed if they fail to tow the party line.
Asked to comment on Bambang's case, Amir Machmud said a representative could be vocal as long as he could account for his actions. "It is the ones who are not vocal, and simply keep their mouths shuts, that should not be retained as the people's representatives."
By yesterday afternoon, Wahono had not announced his intention. It is no secret that Wahono has distanced himself from Golkar since he lost the chairmanship of the Golkar executive board to Harmoko in 1992.
Noted political observer Arbi Sanit said the controversy has given Wahono a great opportunity to show his independence and integrity by keeping Bambang on constitutional grounds.
Meanwhile, Bambang told the press yesterday that he has established a team of eight lawyers, ready to fight for him if he decides to carry out his recent threat to sue the Golkar leaders for tarnishing his name.
He refused to disclose the names of the lawyers, but promised to do so after meeting with House Speaker Wahono later this week. He also said that his team has already started studying various documents and hearing minutes as well the laws and regulations governing the rights of DPR members.
"This lawsuit may not come to anything, but it could take me all the way to the Supreme Court," he said. (29/swe)