MPR likely to go on with trip to Bali despite flak

MPR likely to go on with trip to Bali despite flak

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite public condemnation, the ad hoc committee for
constitutional amendment (PAH I) of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) will likely go ahead with its plan to convene
outside Jakarta.

The venue of the convention has not been decided yet, but the
resort island of Bali remains the most favored choice.

Speaking to the press after a nearly three-hour meeting,
committee chairman Jacob Tobing of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said that the committee
members were in need of a serene place to enable them to focus on
the amendment.

"We're currently looking for the right place, to enable the
legislators to meet from early in the morning until night. It has
not been decided yet," Jacob told the press here on Tuesday.

"If Bali is the right place, we will go there," said Jacob,
who was accompanied by deputies Slamet Effendi Yusuf of Golkar
and Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

The decision to hold the meeting out of the city was taken
because only a few members of the committee have been focusing on
the progress of the constitutional amendment. Most of them merely
sign the attendance form, join the session for some minutes, and
leave during the deliberations.

Out of the 48 members of the ad hoc committee, generally there
were only 20 lawmakers who stayed until the session ended.

Teten Masduki of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and
Farid R. Faqih of Government Watch (Gowa) have condemned the
plan, saying it showed the lack of sensitivity of the legislators
toward the plight of the common people.

Jacob, however, said that the committee had only limited time
to discuss the constitutional amendment so that it needed to work
hard.

According to Jacob, members of the committee had refused to
convene in Jakarta because they were often distracted by
activities of their respective political parties.

Asked about the source of funding for the activities, Jacob
declined to comment, saying it was the concern of the Assembly's
secretariat.

However, none of the officers at the secretariat were ready to
disclose the budget for the four-day meeting.

One of the officials at the secretariat Janed Jri has denied
speculations that the meeting would entail an expenditure of Rp
600 million (US$61,250).

A rough calculation of the return air fare, accommodation, and
allowances shows that the event will be very costly.

"It is taken from the routine budget, there is no additional
budget," Jacob said.

Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, meanwhile, said he appreciated
and understood the task of the legislators as they needed a
serene environment to focus on the amendment.

A tentative schedule for the out-of-town convention shows that
it will proceed from April 4 through April 7.

The issues to be discussed during the convention include
education, religious affairs, composition of the Assembly's
membership, the economy and social affairs.

During the debate on constitutional amendments conducted over
the past three years, the discussion of several items had been
postponed due to lack of time.

"That's why we need time to concentrate on finalizing the
amendment," Jacob reiterated.