Mega seeks input on foreign envoys

Mega seeks input on foreign envoys

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri has sent two letters
to the House of Representatives (DPR) asking legislators to
advise her on the appointment of foreign ambassadors for their
missions in Jakarta.

In two letters, copies of which were obtained by The Jakarta
Post on Monday, Megawati asked the House to give its
recommendations as soon as possible.

Foreign ambassadorial candidates for Indonesia include Godfrey
S. Simasiku of Zambia, Markku Hugo Tapani Niinioja of Finland,
Ghazi bin Said bin Abdullah Al-Bahar Al-Rawas of Oman, and Hugh
Swift of Ireland.

Article 13 of the amended 1945 Constitution stipulates that
the President shall accept the appointment of foreign diplomats
after taking into consideration inputs given by legislators.

Megawati welcomed in the letters the assignment of those
ambassadors in an effort to maintain good ties with those
countries.

;JP;KHS;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-bill-presidential-election
House consults scholars over bill
JP/4/scene

House consults scholars over bill

JAKARTA: All nine factions in the House of Representatives
(DPR) are scheduled on Wednesday to present their comments on the
presidential election bill drafted by the home ministry.

Agustin Teras Narang, chairman of the House special committee
deliberating the bill, said on Monday that each faction would
then submit inputs to the committee to improve deliberation.

The home minister will respond to the House's comments on
March 31.

In the meantime, legislators are scheduled to gather inputs
from political scholars from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) and officials from the General Elections Commission (KPU)
on April 1 and April 3 respectively.

The committee will also hear inputs from political scholars
with the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University on
April 8. -- JP

;JP;DJA;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-KPKPN-anticorruption
KPKPN challenges anticorruption law
JP/4/SCENE

KPKPN challenges anticorruption law

JAKARTA: Striving to maintain its existence, the Public
Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) is seeking a judicial
review with the Supreme Court against Law No. 30, 2002 on the
establishment of an anticorruption commission to replace the
KPKPN.

KPKPN chairman Jusuf Sjakir said KPKPN had appointed a team of
lawyers led by Amir Syamsuddin to pursue the case.

He said the request for a judicial review was accepted on
Monday by Supreme Court chief for civil and state administration
Paulus Effendi Lotulung.

Jusuf said KPKPN members wanted the commission to be
maintained alongside the planned anticorruption commission to be
established in accordance with the anticorruption law enacted
late last year.

"We also ask the House of Representatives to amend the law.
Nineteen legislators have stated their readiness to support us,"
he said. --Antara

;JP;ANTARA;EVI;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-Ba'asyir-lawsuit
Court renounces Ba'asyir's lawsuit
JP/4/scene

Court dismisses Ba'asyir's lawsuit

JAKARTA: The South Jakarta District Court dismissed on Monday
a lawsuit filed by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir against the Jakarta
Prosecutor's Office for detaining him.

Ba'asyir, believed to be the chairman of Jamaah Islamiyah, a
regional group the United Nations has placed on its list of
international terrorist organizations, has been charged with
treason, planning to assassinate President Megawati Soekarnoputri
and immigration violations.

"The court dismisses the plaintiff's lawsuit and declares that
the detention of Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was legal," said Tursani
Jafrie, who presented the verdict in the court on Monday.

The court also ordered Ba'asyir to bear the cost of the trial.

Ba'asyir's lawyers have sought his release.

Police allege that Ba'asyir was responsible for a string of
church bombings in 2000, and plan to file charges of attempting
to overthrow the government against him soon.

Authorities expect to bring Ba'asyir to trial by the end of
next month. If found guilty, Ba'asyir would face a maximum
sentence of 15 years in prison. --Antara

;JP;ANTARA;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-workers-evacuation
US$22m to evacuate migrant workers
JP/4/

US$22m to evacuate migrant workers

JAKARTA: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
Kalla said on Monday that the government had allocated Rp 200
billion (US$22 million) for the repatriation of Indonesian
workers in Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Jusuf said if the safety of Indonesian workers in that region
was at risk, the government would repatriate some 80,000 workers
in the region.

"The government has put aside Rp 200 billion for the
repatriation of Indonesian workers from countries around Iraq,"
Jusuf was quoted by Antara as saying.

He also appealed to the Indonesian people to avoid violence
when venting their anger against the invasion of Iraq by the
United States and Britain. --Antara

;JP;ANTARA;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-immigration-officials
Six officials posted overseas
JP/4/scene

Six officials posted overseas

JAKARTA: The government has named six officials as immigration
attaches in six countries, spokesman of the directorate general
for immigration, Ade Endang Dahlan, said here on Monday.

The immigration officials will be placed in Australia, East
Timor, Germany, Japan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, Ade said.

Ariken Tarigan will be assigned in Malaysia, Aslim in Saudi
Arabia, Herdarsin in East Timor, Hari Purwanto in Germany,
Marjono in Japan, and Demi Sarwa in Australia, he said.

The officials have been attending a week-long course before
their departure, Ade said. --Antara

;JP;ANTARA;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-Poso-Hamzah
Hamzah to visit Poso
JP/4/scene

Hamzah to visit Poso

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz is slated to visit the city
of Poso during his two-day visit to Central Sulawesi province.

The Vice President is expected to arrive in Palu on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Hamzah will meet with religious and community
leaders who have been actively involved in dialog to settle the
sectarian conflicts in Poso.

Hamzah will also meet displaced people at Tentena, a small
town near Poso lake.

Before leaving for Jakarta, Hamzah will hold a gathering with
his party's supporters in Palu.

Hamzah heads the Islam-based United Development Party.
--Antara