MPR to revive regional representatives' faction

MPR to revive regional representatives' faction

JAKARTA (JP): Despite its lateness, the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) will restore a separate faction of regional
representatives in its next plenary session to accommodate the
aspirations of people in the provinces, says MPR speaker Amien
Rais.

"Insya Allah (God willing), the re-establishment of the
regional representatives faction will be endorsed in the next
plenary session of the Assembly. The regional representatives
deserve their own faction because it is guaranteed by the 1945
Constitution," he said, after a meeting with functionaries of the
Forum of Regional Representatives (FUD) here on Wednesday.

MPR has set Aug. 1 for its plenary session to hear the
accountability speech of President Abdurrahman Wahid, following
two censures of him by the House of Representatives.

The Assembly, in its August 2000 annual session, decided to
reinstate the regional representatives faction within four months
but so far the decision has not yet been implemented, because it
has been working on constitutional amendments which must be
completed in 2002.

The regional representatives faction was dissolved in the 1999
general session.

Regional representatives were elected by provincial
legislative councils in the 1999 elections and are representing
their respective political parties in the Assembly.

Oesman Sapta, chairman of FUD, said after the meeting that the
130 regional representatives would hold a national meeting on
June 9, 2000, to make preparations for their faction's revival,
including the election of its new functionaries.

"Despite being late, the faction's revival will bring about
changes to the MPR session. The Assembly will no longer be
dominated by political parties," he said.

The MPR comprises 500 House members, 65 interest group
representatives and 130 regional representatives.

Oesman added that all decrees issued by the Assembly in the
1999 general session and 2000 annual session should be considered
invalid because of the regional representative faction's
dissolution.

The West Kalimantan representative reiterated that his faction
had set its sights on promoting the provinces' economic and
political interests upon its comeback.

"Therefore, all regional representatives should take off their
'political uniforms' and don their 'old suits' for the sake of
their regions," he said.

Oesman called on central government and the House to pay more
serious attention to numerous problems in the regions, in line
with the implementation of regional autonomy.

"Central government and the parliament should bear in mind
that the national economy relies on the regions," he said.

Citing an example, he said many regions could not exercise
their authority in the economic and political fields because of
the lack of regulations and technical guidelines to enforce the
laws on regional autonomy and on fiscal balance.

He said FUD would hold a seminar on the economy on Friday to
discuss all problems resulting from the implementation of
regional autonomy and the enforcement of fiscal balance. (rms)