Money puts legislation program on hold

Money puts legislation program on hold

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives is now exercising
its political function far better than its predecessors, but it
fares little better when it comes to its legislation program --
because of a lack of money.

Chairman of the House legislation board Soetardjo
Soerjogoeritno said on Tuesday his team frequently failed to meet
because they were not paid.

"Many times we have been unable to make a decision on which
bills should be given priority of deliberation because our
meetings did not have a quorum," he said.

Unlike regular plenary and commission sessions, the
legislation board's internal meetings are considered non-
budgetary so board members receive no allowances for attending a
session.

All factions at the House are representing on the board.

Soetardjo said the government had submitted a total of 29 new
draft laws, all of which were urgent, for the House's
endorsement.

He said that seen from this point view, the House should avoid
delaying deliberations.

"The board's members do not deserve extra payment because they
receive their monthly salaries," he said.

Soetardjo said the revision of the 1999 law on general
elections should top the priority list in line with the presence
of newly established regencies and provinces and the planned
revamp of the General Election Commission (KPU).

The deliberation of bills on labor unions was also urgent due
to the ratification of the international convention on the
freedom to unionize in 1998, he said.

He said six new tax bills would continue to be deliberated
over the next three months and were expected to be endorsed by
the end of the House's fourth sitting, which ends in August.

Other draft laws recently submitted by the government deal
with international pacts, human rights tribunals, seed varieties
and labor protection. (rms)