Megawati requests for delay on presidency bill deliberation

Megawati requests for delay on presidency bill deliberation

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri has asked legislators to
delay deliberation on a bill on the presidency on the grounds
that the government is currently assessing the bill outlined by
legislators.

The request of President Megawati was disclosed on Monday at a
plenary meeting presided over by House deputy speaker Soetardjo
Soerjogoeritno.

"The government is currently studying the bill. We ask
legislators to delay the deliberation," Megawati said in a letter
read out by a staff member of the House secretariat.

The request was made on Jan. 10, only three days after House
Speaker Akbar Tandjung announced his commitment to complete the
deliberation of 22 bills, including the bill on the presidency.

The presidency bill is among the 22 bills on various issues,
scheduled to be completed before March 28 when legislators will
enter a recess period.

Responding to the request, Soetardjo said that the matter
would be conveyed to the House steering committee for further
discussion.

Admitting he had not heard about the request, chairman of
House Legislation Committee Zein Badjeber said that the bill on
the presidency would regulate anything related to the authority
and the institution of the president.

The bill, he added, would also set a limit of up to Rp 25
million (US$17,850) on the value of gifts the president may
accept from counterparts.

"It was a problem in the era of president Abdurrahman Wahid
because there was no regulation," he told The Jakarta Post.

Abdurrahman, had received US$2 million from Brunei Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah as a gift that eventually led to his ouster.

Zein revealed that the bill would also set requirements for
the president to appoint Cabinet ministers. "If there are
requirements to become a legislator, there must also be
requirements to become a minister," he added.