MPR to accommodate regional representatives' proposal
JAKARTA (JP): An ad hoc subcommittee of the People's Consultative Assembly pledged to follow up on a proposal to reestablish the regional representative faction in the Assembly during the body's upcoming special session.
Rambe Kamarulzaman, the chairman of the subcommittee preparing two draft decrees on the appointment of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri as the new president and on the appointment of a new vice president, said the regional representatives' proposal to reform their faction would be brought to the plenary session of the Assembly's Working Committee and to the MPR leadership in two weeks time.
"It is the Working Committee's authority to decide the agenda of the special session. If it accepts the regional representatives' proposal, the ad hoc subcommittee will insert the proposal in our agenda," Rambe said during a consultation meeting with the regional representatives here on Wednesday.
He added that the ad hoc subcommittee would also discuss the proposal with the MPR leadership, since the Assembly's Working Committee recently announced the only item on the special session's agenda would be to demand President Abdurrahman Wahid present his accountability speech.
Oesman Sapta, the chairman of the Forum of Regional Representatives, vowed that the regional representatives would fight to reestablish their faction during the special session, saying the proposal had gained the support of numerous factions and the MPR leadership.
"The reestablishment of the regional representative faction is only a matter of time and the special session will be an appropriate time to do this," he said.
John Robert Fakkiri, representing Irian Jaya, warned the Working Committee against turning a blind eye to their proposal, saying the regional representatives would undertake political maneuvers to disturb the special session if their demand was not heeded.
"More than 100 of 130 regional representatives are determined to disturb the special session if the special session fails to give a positive response to our proposal," he said without elaborating.
He conceded that he felt uneasy receiving a monthly honorarium of Rp 1.8 million while doing nothing for the people he represents in Irian Jaya.
Ali M., who represents East Java, noted that the 130 regional representatives could walk out of the special session, or support the embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid, if their proposal was not adopted.
"We are determined to retaliate for the Assembly's decision to dissolve the regional representative faction during the 1999 annual session," he said. (rms)