MPR forms 10 factions amid arguments, protests

MPR forms 10 factions amid arguments, protests

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decided
on Sunday at a plenary session, dogged by hiccups of protests and
interruptions, to approve ten factions at the highest legislative
body.

Soejitno Hardjosoediro, who chaired the session, banged his
gavel to confirm the decision amid interruptions by members who
came up with different interpretations of the requirements for
forming a faction.

The center of the controversy was the insistence by the Love
the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), which has only five members,
that the MPR rules entitle it to have a faction of its own while
many members argued that a faction should represent at least ten.

The ten factions, twice as large as those in the previous MPR,
reflect the polarization of political interest groups and could
be a glimpse of how tough it would be to make decisions at the
highest law-making body.

Six of the factions were formed by major political parties who
won more than ten seats in the June general election, the
mandated threshold to be entitled to take part in the next
general election.

The six factions are the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, the Reformist Golkar faction,
the United Development Party (PPP) faction, the National
Awakening Party (PKB) faction, the National Mandate Party (PAN)
Reform faction and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction.

The other four factions are the joint United Ummat Sovereignty
(PDU) faction, joint Indonesian Nationhood faction, Regional
Representative faction and the Indonesian Military/National
Police faction.

The PDU faction groups the Indonesian United Islam Party
(PSII), Nadhlatul Ummat Party (PNU), Masyumi Party and People's
Sovereignty Party (PDR), while the Indonesian Nationhood faction
comprises the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), IPKI Party,
Justice and Unity Party and several regional representatives.

The Reform faction was formed by the National Mandate Party
(PAN) and the Justice Party (PK).

The MPR factions resemble caucuses to help members fight for
common interests.

Soejitno, who as the oldest MPR member was appointed to chair
the MPR sessions pending the election of its leadership, seemed
to assume that the MPR rulings on the requirements for forming a
faction were clear.

However, an MPR member and constitutional expert, Yusril Isha
Mahendra, conceded that the provisions of the rulings were indeed
open to interpretations.

Debates

"PDKB should join other minority parties to form a joint
faction because the MPR rulings require a faction to have at
least ten members," Syamsul Muarif of the Reformist Golkar
faction said.

Seto Hariyadi and Astrid Susanto of PKB defended their
entitlement to form a faction, arguing that the minimum ten-
member requirement was imposed only for a joint faction which was
formed by more than one political party or groupings and not on a
single faction like their party.

"Please give some respect to minority groupings' rights. We
should not copy the way the former New Order regime treated
minority groups, such as those of the Irianese, Acehnese and
Ambonese," said Astrid.

Seto demanded that minority groups' democratic rights should
no longer be neglected.

According to Yusril, the plenary session should have resolved
the differences of interpretations. But Soejitno, apparently
impatient with the barrage of protests and interruptions, banged
his gavel and ruled out that PDKB was not entitled to have a
faction of its own.

Yusril regretted the failure of the session to resolve the
differences, saying "the PDKB faction should have been accepted
but it will have limited rights".

When asked for his comments about Soejitno's leadership,
Yusril cited old age and inexperience of the provisional chair as
well as the attitude of most MPR members who were still in the
early stage of learning a democratic process.

"All sides should understand his being old. He is only an
acting MPR chair. He will step down after a new MPR chairman
takes over on Monday," he said.

Slamet revealed that previously the Christian-dominated PDKB
was slated to join the PDU faction but then quit after learning
the faction was dominated by Muslim parties.

"PDKB representatives then decided to form their own faction
because Chapter 13 of the MPR internal rulings on the minimum
ten-member requirement applies not only to a joint faction but a
single faction," Slamet said, insisting that the PDKB faction
should be accepted though with limited rights. (rms)