MPR blasted for delay in establishment of commission
MPR blasted for delay in establishment of commission
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Experts and activists blasted the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) on Thursday for putting off the establishment of a
constitutional commission until 2003.
Alarmed at the decision reached last night, the Coalition for
A New Constitution blasted the Assembly for the delay, and
charged that the reasons cited for the delay were illogical. The
coalition also criticized the Assembly for failing to grasp the
urgency of setting up the commission during the MPR's Annual
Session, which is scheduled to end on Saturday.
Political observer and coalition member Mochtar Pabottinggi
said the delay would only create more problems, the consequence
of the numerous problems contained in the amended 1945
Constitution, with its overlapping laws and regulations.
"We believe that establishing a constitutional commission now
during the ongoing Annual Session of the MPR would not cause any
political problems, such as hampering the 2004 general election
or revoking the results of previous amendments to the
Constitution as feared by the legislators," he said during a
hastily called media conference.
"Rather than halting the democratic process, the commission
would reform the Constitution, a main agenda of the country's
reform process in order to eliminate abuses of power," Mochtar
said.
Overlapping clauses in the amended Constitution, especially on
the separation of power between the legislative and executive
branches, have the potential to cause tension and political
instability in the future. This is because the amended articles
do not provide the space for a democratic state system, according
to the coalition.
The coalition, which began campaigning for a constitutional
commission in 1999, pointed out that the amended Constitution
would serve as an umbrella for the 2004 general election and the
direct presidential election, as well as the constitutional
commission.
Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the country's largest Muslim
organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), threw his support behind an
independent commission.
An independent commission, Hasyim said, "will ensure that the
amended Constitution will be accepted by the general public
instead of causing conflicts, as demonstrated by the results of
amendments by legislators".
The Government Watch also backs an independent commission,
saying members of the commission should be impartial and the
commission should not include politicians or bureaucrats.
Meanwhile, a group of noted figures signed a statement on
Thursday urging the immediate establishment of the commission.
The signatories included noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution,
NU deputy chairman Solahuddin Wahid, Muhammadiyah member Moeslim
Abdurrachman, former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto, activist
Hariman Siregar and General Elections Commission member Mulyana
W. Kusumah.
"There should be a law, or a government regulation in lieu of
a law, which stipulates the requirement for commission members,
the commission's composition, tasks and functions, and its
working mechanisms to ensure its independence," Mulyana said.