More hearings on info bill sought

More hearings on info bill sought

JAKARTA: Legislators with the special committee deliberating
the freedom of information bill have invited media figures and
state intelligence officials to attend hearings to collect more
input on the bill.

Paulus Widiyanto, the chairman of the special committee, said
on Thursday that the hearings were needed to make the bill
acceptable to the public.

Speaking after a closed-door meeting, Paulus of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said that the
hearing with media figures had been set for May 13 and May 14
with the intelligence officials.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who chairs PDI Perjuangan,
recently demanded that officials who leaked state secrets be
dismissed.

Many perceive the statement as the President's reluctance to
allow public access to information.

PDI Perjuangan has 153 seats at the 500-member House. -- JP