Legislators slammed over petition
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Observers have criticized House of Representatives members for going ahead with their plan to summon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to explain his position on the chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI).
The Nationhood Coalition faction and the National Awakening Party (PKB) oppose Susilo's decision to revoke a letter by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri to the House. The letter would have changed the guard in the powerful TNI.
The move to summon Susilo was a political maneuver and not in the interests of the people, activists and experts said on Sunday.
"This is a psy(chological)-war between a group of legislators and the new administration. It is difficult to figure out how the maneuver will benefit the nation," Andalas University legal expert and antigraft activist Saldi Isra said.
Megawati's letter issued on Oct. 15 before she stepped down replaced TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto with Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, after Endriartono earlier announced his resignation from the job.
A group of 55 legislators submitted the petition on Friday to House Speaker Agung Laksono, who later said he would schedule the item for discussion at a House plenary session next week.
An earlier plenary meeting had assigned the House's defense commission to deliberate Megawati's letter, despite it having been withdrawn by Susilo, who wants Endriartono to stay at the TNI's helm for the meantime.
On Friday, the defense commission comprising only lawmakers from the Nationhood Coalition plus the National Awakening Party (PKB) endorsed Ryamizard as the new TNI commander. The approval will be further discussed soon at a House plenary session.
Article 169 of the House's standing orders states that at least 13 House members can propose a petition for the House to summon the President over an important and strategic government policy that affects the entire nation.
Summoning a president is a serious move and normally occurs only in situations when presidents could be seen as acting against the interests of the nation.
"But, the petition recently filed by lawmakers has nothing to do with the interests of the people at large. The legislators must have understood that," Saldi told The Jakarta Post.
He said the House's plan to summon Susilo would be irrelevant "because the President has given his explanation directly or through his ministers (to the people) about his decision to revoke Megawati's letter".
Also criticizing the petition was Center for Electoral Reform (CETRO) deputy director Hadar N. Gumay, who said the legislators had not distinguished which issues were important to the people.
Although House members had the right to submit such a petition to summon the President, they should be careful deciding when to do it, he said.
"The legislators must listen to the aspirations of the people, otherwise the public will distrust them," Hadar said.
In its role of scrutinizing the executive, the House has the right to launch an inquiry, make a statement, draft bills, and summon the President in order to seek explanations.
In 1999, then-president BJ Habibie was summoned to give an explanation before a House plenary session over the result of the United Nations-sponsored ballot in which East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia.
Habibie's successor, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, was also summoned by the House to clarify his decision to dismiss two of his ministers, Laksamana Sukardi and Jusuf Kalla, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party respectively.
During Megawati's presidency, a group of legislators also proposed the House summon her over the loss of the Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia.
However, the proposal was rejected by majority of House members.