Mistrust blamed for deadlocked bills

Mistrust blamed for deadlocked bills

JAKARTA (JP): "Deep mistrust" among factions and government
representatives has been blamed for the House of Representatives'
failure on Tuesday to notch up any progress in its deliberation
of the political role of the country's 4.1 million public
servants.

A source close to the deliberation described how legislators
from Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP) -- under
pressure to complete the reading of three political bills by a
Jan. 28 deadline -- lobbied intensively with government
representatives over the question of whether civil servants
should be allowed to join political parties.

"There's a high level of mistrust among them," the source
said, pointing out how the deadlock could not be broken for days
because factions refused to budge.

"Golkar is now a cornered rat due to public pressure in this
case... we have to find a loophole to save the deliberation
process while giving Golkar a chance to bow out without losing
any face," the source said.

Golkar insisted that public servants be allowed to join
parties, while the United Development Party still insisted they
should be neutral. Golkar has recently shifted its stance,
showing itself willing to have the question dropped altogether
from the bills, as long as it is later regulated in another piece
of legislation.

PPP is willing to have the issue dropped, but still demands
that a presidential decree is issued banning civil servants from
politics. It insisted the government supported this alternative.

The government has not commented on PPP's assertion.

The source said the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction is seen as a
likely broker in the bargaining process because it has the
capability of "stabilizing" matters and of lending dynamics in
political developments.

"PPP and PDI should let Golkar win its proposal on electoral
districts, but Golkar should give way in its battle over civil
servants' political role," the source said, suggesting a way out.

On electoral districts, PPP and the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) argued for proportional representation in voting for
House legislators to be conducted at the regency level, while
Golkar argued that it be done at the provincial level.

Meanwhile, parties that are not represented in the House of
Representatives (DPR) contributed to the ongoing debate.

On Tuesday, the rector of Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
University, Ichlasul Amal, defended Golkar's argument in favor of
allowing civil servants to join parties.

"Why does PPP insist on having civil servants banned from
politics when it actually has the chance to win the civil
servants' support?" he said.

Also from Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the ancient
city's governor and hereditary ruler, on Saturday also backed
Golkar's stance.

He only warned civil servants not to bring along their
"different political aspirations" to work. "That could be
dangerous," he said.

Rubiyanto Misman, rector of the Jenderal Soedirman University
in Purwokerto in Central Java, was among those to attack Golkar's
position.

"If Akbar Tandjung visits a village, how will local officials
know whether to treat him as Golkar chairman or as the
minister/state secretary?" he asked.

Criticism also came from parties not included in the House of
Representatives, namely the People's Awakening Party (PKB), the
National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and
the Muslim Community Party (PUI). Most of them united in their
call for civil service neutrality in order to ensure a free and
fair general election.

PKB's deputy chairperson Chofifah Indar Parawansa said: "The
bureaucracy can be neutral only if it is not linked to a socio-
political function. It should operate its public service function
only."

To allow bureaucrats to perform their career professionally
without being burdened by a socio-political function -- which has
been the case for over 30 years -- PKB suggested the Indonesian
Civil Corps (Korpri) be dissolved.

PUI chairman Deliar Noer reminded Golkar to let the
bureaucracy be true public servants.

"After 30 years the civil service needs to be made neutral and
that means not allowing them to join political parties," Deliar
said.

PBB deputy chairman Hartono Mardjono also expressed the same
demand.

"We agree with PPP that civil servants must not become members
or executives of political parties," Hartono said.

PAN chairman Amien Rais -- himself a civil servant -- also
wanted the bureaucracy to be neutral.

"I myself will quit as a civil servant, because there is a
bigger interest that I have in fulfilling my role as a party
chairman," Amien said.

Legislator Abu Hasan Sazili of Golkar -- who also chairs the
DPR's Special Committee deliberating the bill -- stayed firm on
the organization's stance.

"What's important is not to herd the civil servants to support
Golkar," he said after meeting with a delegation from the
National Coalition group led by playwright Ratna Sarumpaet. The
group also pressed Golkar to alter its stance over the issue.

Sazili said Golkar's offer to break the stalemate still stands
-- and that is to have the issue of civil servants pulled out
from the political bills and to have it regulated instead through
another piece of legislation. (44/45/01/edt/aan)