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)