MPR working committee delays first session

JAKARTA (JP): The first session of the People's Consultative Assembly's working committee was pushed back from Wednesday to Thursday morning.

Fatigue was suspected to be the cause of the postponement. Assembly members, who are also House of Representatives legislators, were kept awake into the early hours of Wednesday morning electing a House speaker.

They were then roused from their beds later on Wednesday morning to attend the induction of new House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and his four deputies.

The Assembly divided the 90-member working committee into three ad hoc committees in an afternoon meeting on Wednesday. They also elected a chief, two deputy chiefs and a secretary for each of the subcommittees.

The first ad hoc committee, which will deliberate the State Policy Guidelines, is chaired by Theo Sambuaga from the Golkar Party of Reform faction, with Alwi Shihab from the National Awakening Party faction (F-PKB) and Muhammadi from the Reform faction serving as vice chairmen. Hajriyanto Thohari of Golkar will serve as the committee's secretary.

The second committee will deliberate Assembly draft decrees other than the State Policy Guidelines, including a decree which limits the president's power and a decree on checks and balances among the state's highest institutions.

Sabam Sirait of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction (PDI Perjuangan) was elected the committee's chairman. His deputies are Aisyah Amini of the United Development faction (F-PP) and Golkar's Rambe Kamarulzaman, while PDI Perjuangan member Noah Torong was named secretary.

The third committee will discuss amendments to the 1945 Constitution. It is chaired by Harun Kamil of the interest group faction, with Slamet Effendi Yusuf of the Golkar Party of Reform faction and Amin Aryoso of the PDI Perjuangan faction named deputy chairmen. Yusuf Muhammad of F-PKB took the secretary's post.

According to the schedule of the General Session, the working committee has two weeks to complete its tasks. Because of the brief amount of time, it is expected that proposed amendments to the Constitution will be finalized in August 2000.

The working committee is expecting four additional members, who will be selected from the Assembly's 50 regional representatives. Not all of the regional representatives have arrived in Jakarta and must still be sworn in. (02/04)