'MPR annual session a waste of funds'

'MPR annual session a waste of funds'

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The upcoming Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) has already lost its relevance and is nothing but a waste
of state money, a political analyst says.

Andi Alfian Malarangeng, an analyst from the Jakarta-based
Institute of Public Administration, said it would be better if
the funds allocated for the session went to the General Elections
Commission (KPU) and the cash-strapped Election Monitoring
Committee, which are preparing for far bigger and more crucial
events next year.

The Annual Session will run between Aug. 1 and Aug. 10 and
cost taxpayers Rp 20 billion (US$2.4 million), the same amount
spent last year. But compared to the previous assembly sessions,
this year's event will not see the grueling and energy-sapping
debate on constitutional amendments.

Malarangeng also said the establishment of a Constitutional
Commission in the coming session was a meaningless effort by the
country's highest lawmaking body.

"It will not live up to the people's expectations, because
what I have learned from their concept, the planned commission is
a weak and dependent one," he was quoted as saying by Antara on
Monday.

Malarangeng's statement came as the Assembly was gearing up
for the session, in which the establishment of the Constitutional
Commission would be one of three main topics the 700 legislators
would discuss.

The other two topics were hearing progress reports presented
by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, the House of Representatives
(DPR), the Supreme Audit Body (BPK) and the Supreme Court (MA)
and revoking more than 100 obsolete decrees enacted between 1966
and 2002.

On Friday, Aug. 1, after the opening remarks from the MPR
speaker and endorsement of the session's schedule in the first
plenary meeting, Megawati will be given 60 minutes to deliver a
report on her government's achievements and efforts to implement
MPR decrees mandated to her last year.

Next in the pipeline will be House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, BPK
Chairman Satrio B. Joedono and Chief Justice Bagir Manan, who
each will be given 30 minutes to present their progress reports.

As for the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA), the MPR has decided
not to invite the institution, which has not legally existed
since last year.

Lawmakers disbanded the 30-strong DPA last year when they
completed the constitutional amendments, but the institution
continues to exist until today.

MPR leaders have asked Megawati, as the head of state, to
issue a decree on retirement of the DPA members.

During the third plenary session scheduled for Saturday, Aug.
2, each one of factions in the MPR will have no more than 30
minutes to present comments on the progress reports delivered by
state institutions.

However, there are no legal consequences against the President
and other state institutions if their reports are considered
unsatisfactory by the MPR.

Chairman of the special ad hoc committee tasked with preparing
the schedules for the Annual Session, Alihardi Kiaidemak, has
said MPR members would start on Aug. 3 discussing draft decrees
prepared by the MPR working committees.

The MPR is expected to endorse all the decrees during a
plenary meeting on Aug. 10 and hand them to the President, the
House speaker and the chief justice for implementation.