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.