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)