MPR ends session, call for clean govt
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) concluded its Annual Session on Thursday with a call for President Megawati Soekarnoputri to create a clean government.
MPR chairman Amien Rais also reminded both the government and lawmakers that some reform agendas had not been attained, more than five years after the movement was launched in 1998.
"Create a clean government and enforce the law," Amien said in the closing ceremony attended by President Megawati, Vice President Hamzah Haz and several cabinet ministers.
"Corruption eradication drives are often rhetoric only."
Amien did not give details, but critics have slammed President Megawati for dragging her feet in prosecuting alleged high- profile corrupters, mostly associated with the Golkar party, the political bandwagon of former dictator Soeharto.
During the seven-day meeting, Amien's National Mandate Party (PAN) accused the President's family members of indulging in shady business deals.
Amien also spelled out reform agendas Indonesia has to carry out, including defending the country's unity, improving human development, stimulating economic recovery and ending foreign borrowing.
The MPR meeting produced four decrees, namely on the establishment of the Constitutional Commission, the revocation of eight Assembly decrees, the revision of internal Assembly regulations, and suggestions to state institutions.
The closing ceremony was marked with the handing over of MPR suggestions to the President, the House of Representatives (DPR), the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and the Supreme Court (MA).
However, the recommendations would not be binding and the President could just ignore the without penalty.
The Assembly also agreed to organize another session at the end of September next year to hear the accountability speech of the President, House speaker, chief justice, and BPK chairman.
The Assembly agreed on all four decrees deliberated during the meeting after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction withdrew its proposal on two items -- the banning of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), and the rehabilitation of founding president Sukarno.
PDI Perjuangan had insisted on revoking an Assembly decree issued in 1967 on the annulment of Sukarno's presidency and to rehabilitate his name.
"For the sake of togetherness, our faction accepts the opinion of other factions," said PDI Perjuangan spokesman I Dewa Gede Palguna, referring to the factions' suggestion to leave the rehabilitation issue to the President.
All factions agreed to retain the decree outlawing the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the banning on dissemination of communist, Marxist, and Leninist teachings.
Concerning the establishment of the Constitutional Commission, the Assembly agreed to extend its term from six to seven months.
The Commission, which has to be set up within the next two months, will consist of 31 members. Recruitment of the commission's members will be carried out by the Assembly's working body.
The Commission will be tasked with assessing the amendments of the Constitution carried out by legislators from 1999 to 2002. The Commission will report to the Assembly's working body, which will then report to the General Session of the Assembly in September next year.
The Annual Session was supposed to last ten days and cost Rp 20 billion. In response to public criticism, however, the Annual Session was cut to seven days.
Results of seven-day Annual Session --------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Decree No 4/2003 on the establishment of Constitutional Commission 2. Decree No 1/2003 on the status of Assembly decrees issued since 1960 3. Decree No 2/2003 on the revision of Assembly's Internal Regulations 4. Decree No 5/2003 on suggestions to the President, House, BPK, MA ---------------------------------------------------------------- Source: Assembly's Annual Session