MPR members' planned overseas trip questioned

MPR members' planned overseas trip questioned

JAKARTA (JP): The countries two largest political parties
slammed on Thursday a planned trip to dozens of countries by 90
members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) working
committee as extravagant and unnecessary.

The legislators are planning to go on tour to promote the
results of the recent MPR Annual Session to Indonesian citizens
living abroad.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
and the Golkar Party, which between them hold more than half of
the Assembly's 700 seats, said the trip was inappropriate given
the multidimensional crises facing the country.

PDI Perjuangan faction spokesman Yosef Umarhadi said his
faction had lodged an objection to the plan and asked all its
members to mount a campaign against it.

"We have decided not to support the foreign trip because it
will be very expensive and is not in line with our efforts to
cope with the economic crisis," he said.

The MPR legislators are scheduled to visit 29 countries in
Europe, America and Asia. The trip, for which the Assembly has
allocated Rp 5 billion, was arranged based on an MPR
recommendation assigning the working committee to carry out a
promotional program.

Golkar chairman and House of Representatives Speaker Akbar
Tandjung said he had asked all his of party's representatives on
the committee to boycott the world tour.

"I have instructed all Golkar faction members on the committee
to shun the overseas trip because now is not the right time for
it. The country is still fighting an economic crisis. Moreover,
the session's results should be promoted to people at home
first," he said.

Only about one percent of Indonesia's 210 million people live
abroad.

Support for the plan came from deputy MPR speaker Lt. Gen.
Hari Sabarno, who said working committee members were only
following Assembly orders.

"Why not? It's not wrong since it is (based on) an instruction
issued in the recent Annual Session. Besides the Assembly has
allocated funds for the purpose," he said.

Hari said the working committee should go ahead with the
proposal and deliver an account on their arrival home.

"What does 'sense of crisis and urgency' mean? The committee's
plan to socialize the Annual Session's results is an
institutional decision. So the committee should go ahead with the
plan," he said.

He blamed the media for exaggerating the seriousness of the
issue.

Before the Annual Session, the working committee visited 29
countries in connection with its constitutional amendment duties.
The trip cost the Assembly Rp 25 billion.

Arbi Sanit, a political expert at the University of Indonesia,
said the overseas visit was a recreational jaunt rather than a
state duty.

"It's tourism. The legislators have the same spirit as the
President, who they like to criticize for his frequent foreign
trips," he said.

Arbi said the trip was a waste of money because Indonesian
citizens living abroad were mostly educated and had access to
information regarding the Annual Session via the Internet.

"And most Indonesians living overseas were not really aware of
the Annual Session," Arbi said. (jun/rms)