Legislators represent the people: Scholar

Legislators represent the people: Scholar

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Members of the House of Representatives must
put the interest of the people first before their political
parties, a political scholar says.

Riswandha Imawan of the Gadjah Mada University said a plan by
Golkar, the ruling political group, to withdraw one of its
representatives in the House, "violates the very principle of
representation".

When Golkar appointed its representatives to the House, it
entrusted them to speak in the interests of the people, Riswandha
said. "The decision by Golkar to withdraw one of its legislators
is an affront to the people."

The staff lecturer at the School of Social and Political
Sciences was commenting on Golkar's plan to withdraw Bambang
Warih Koesoemo from the House. Bambang's fate is now in the hands
of House Speaker Wahono, who is expected to make his ruling next
week.

Golkar's action to "recall" one of its legislators has
prompted a debate about who the House members truly represent --
the political parties that appointed them, or the people.

The government maintains that a House member should be able to
represent both interests at the same time.

Golkar accused Bambang of consistently failing to observe the
party's official line in carrying out his duties at the House.
Golkar leaders also said Bambang had offended a number of cabinet
ministers, who are Golkar functionaries, on several occasions.

Bambang, who cleared out his desk at his office in the House
last week, denied the accusations and stressed that his conduct
in the House was in the interests of the people. Many people have
come to his defense.

Bambang made headlines last year when he disclosed a debt
scandal at a giant textile company owned by Robby Tjahjadi, a
major contributor to Golkar.

Riswandha acknowledged that legislators owe their positions in
the House to their parties but pointed out that they had taken an
oath in which they pledged "to put the interest of the people
above the interests of individuals or groups."

There is no doubt about where their loyalty should be, he
said. The political organizations are simply the media through
which the people's representatives are appointed, he added.

Golkar's request to withdraw Bambang undermines that oath and
should not be granted, he said.

Riswandha's colleague at Gadjah Mada, Afan Gaffar, took a
different position on the issue, defending the right of Golkar to
withdraw its legislator who failed to perform.

He said that "like it or not", the Indonesian political system
recognizes the practice of "recalling" legislators who failed to
observe their parties' standard of conduct.

Afan said a legislator in his line of work should be able to
represent both the people and his party at the same time.

He compared Bambang with another Golkar representative Arnold
Baramuli, who disclosed the major debt scandal at Bank
Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).

"Baramuli took the risk and it paid off. Bambang took the
risk, now he has to accept the consequences," Afan said. "As a
statesman who has been a politician for 27 years he should have
known what he was doing." (har/mun/emb)