MPR to dilute presidential power, strengthen judiciary

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed on Thursday to dilute the power of the president, to further empower legislative Assemblies and the judiciary and tighten the control of state finances through amendments to the 1945 Constitution.

The Assembly Ad Hoc Committee III in charge of amending the Constitution agreed at a meeting to give top priority to amending at least 21 articles in the Constitution during its week-long working tenure, which ends on Oct. 13.

"We decided to place top priority on amending these articles and leave further amendments, if deemed necessary, to the MPR working committee," said Harun Kamil of the interest group faction, who presided over the meeting.

The MPR working committee will be given until mid-August 2000 to complete further amendments to the Constitution, which are expected to be more comprehensive.

Many stipulations in the Constitution, especially those regarding the power of the president, are so vague and prone to different interpretations that they were abused by Soeharto to remain in power for more than 32 years, Harun said.

The ad hoc committee said it would soon amend 11 of the 13 articles in the Constitution which regulate the power of the president and the executive branch of the government.

"Among the articles to be amended will be the stipulation that allows a president to be reelected without specifying how many times reelection can take place," Aberson M. Sihaloho, an ad hoc committee member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, said.

Aberson hinted that this stipulation would likely be amended to allow for a one-time reelection, but the president's tenure, which currently lasts for five years, would not be changed.

Another amendment will reduce the absolute power of the president, to appoint and dismiss his or her Cabinet ministers and will likely allow the House of Representatives (DPR) to have some say in such appointments.

The article on the composition of the MPR membership will also be changed to the effect that the Assembly will only consist of elected members.

At present, 238 of the MPR's 700 members are appointed representatives of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police, interest groups and provinces.

Other amendments will invest more power with the MPR and DPR to control the executive branch of the government and make the judiciary more independent of political power.

Harun added the Supreme Audit Agency would be strengthened to exercise more effective control over state finances.

"Other details are still being worked out by our task force," Harun said, adding that the work of his committee would be submitted to the MPR working committee, which in turn would be presented to the General Session resuming on Oct. 14.

Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Committee II in charge of Assembly decrees other than the State Policy Guidelines took an inventory of the draft decrees to be deliberated for further submission to the Assembly's working committee.

The committee listed one draft on the Assembly's agenda for its General Session, and about 15 drafts on the Assembly's non- State Guidelines decrees. These included four standard decrees, which will be given priority for deliberation.

The standard decrees include the President's accountability speech, and procedures of presidential and vice-presidential elections.

The other ad hoc committee is deliberating the State Policy Guidelines. (05/vin)