MPR session won't comment on progress reports

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and high state institutions can breathe a sigh of relief after People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Commission B agreed on Friday that next year's annual session would only listen to, without even "commenting" on, the progress reports of both the President and the high state institutions.

"For the 2003 annual session, the Assembly needs only to listen to the progress reports of the high state institutions," Commission B chairman Rambe Kamarulzaman said when delivering the commission's report to the Assembly plenary session.

He said the commission would assign an ad hoc committee to prepare an internal ruling for next year's annual session, also to be held in August.

Based on the commission's decision, next year's session will not issue decrees or recommendations for the President and high state institutions as had occurred in the past.

Although the commission's report was accepted by all factions in the Assembly, legislator Effendy Choirie of the National Awakening Party faction expressed his disagreement.

"I disagree with the commission's decision that the Assembly should only listen to the progress report of the President (in next year's annual session)," Effendy told the plenary session.

Earlier on Thursday Effendy said Commission B's decision would render useless all the MPR decrees and recommendations issued for the President in the current annual session.

The proposal that the Assembly should only listen to the President's progress report came from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, the largest at the MPR.

Weary of criticism from legislators over the issue on progress reports, PDI Perjuangan had repeatedly suggested that the Assembly not hold annual sessions.

Apparently PDI Perjuangan wanted to avoid the fate that befell President Abdurrahman Wahid, whose progress report was rejected by the Assembly, which, at that time, had the authority to assess the President's progress report. The Assembly then called for a special session, which ended with Gus Dur's impeachment and cost him the presidency.

Other factions in the Assembly, except PDI Perjuangan, were critical of Megawati in their overview of her progress report delivered at the opening of the current annual session.

The factions criticized Megawati's policy on several issues, including her militaristic approach to resolving problems in Aceh and other restive areas, and dealing with migrant workers.