MPR working committee delays first session

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)