MPR, commission meet on constitution

JAKARTA: Members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) ad hoc committee for constitutional amendments met with members of the Constitutional Commission for the first time on Monday to build a common understanding on the jobs now being conducted by the commission.

The lawmakers asked the commission members to work as professionals and avoid vested interests in synchronizing articles in the Constitution, which has been amended four times by the Assembly since 1999.

The commission was established early this month to look into possible conflicts between articles in the Constitution. The commission will report the results of its job during the Assembly's Annual Session next year.

During the meeting, some members of the Constitutional Commission demanded the lawmakers provide background to the amendments and consensus reached among Assembly factions, including their agreement not to change the preamble of the Constitution and the country's administration system as a unitary state.

United Development Party (PPP) legislator Zein Badjeber said the consensus had not been reached for the benefit of the factions. -- JP