Opposition to fuel policy weakens

Opposition to fuel policy weakens

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In order to allow time for legislators to calm down and explore
alternative options, the House of Representatives decided on
Thursday to adjourn its plenary session to determine its stance
on the government's controversial fuel price policy until Monday.

However, the next session shall see an altered political
configuration among House factions, after the National Awakening
Party (PKB) announced that it would absent itself from the coming
meeting.

PKB members walked out of Thursday's session after House
speaker Agung Laksono announced the postponement.

"Where's our sense of crisis? Why are we wasting so much time
just to decide our stance about a government policy, while the
public's waiting out there?" PKB faction chairman Ali Masykur
Musa told the session, before leaving the meeting along with
party colleagues.

PKB had joined forces with the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) in
demanding a vote to determine whether the House opposed or
supported the government's fuel price policy. Wednesday's plenary
session ended in an embarrassing brawl between lawmakers.

Agung said the delay would allow House members and factions to
study new voting options being offered by the PDI-P.

PDI-P proposed that in the next plenary session that lawmakers
either vote for or against the government's fuel price policy.
Should more legislators vote against the policy, then the
government would be obliged to discuss the fuel price hikes with
the House commissions involved in deliberations for revisions to
the 2005 state budget.

"We expect all House members to accept our offer because it's
more accommodating than the previous two options. What's
important is that the House takes a political stance," said PDI-P
faction chairman Tjahjo Kumolo.

The House closed Wednesday's session with two options on
offer: legislators could either vote to leave the issue to
related House commissions, or vote for another plenary session to
determine the House's stance on the fuel policy.

Leaders of all factions have been invited to a meeting with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday night.

With the PKB, with 52 House seats, absent from next Monday's
session, PDI-P is left with the PDS, both occupying 122 seats
between them.

On the other side, both the Democrat Party and the Democratic
Pioneer Star factions that support the government's fuel policy
occupy 77 seats in total.

Although it has yet to clearly declare its position, the
Golkar Party faction, which has 129 seats, is likely to stand
behind the government, as is the United Development Party (PPP)
that parted with the PDI-P to join factions supporting Susilo.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla and House speaker Agung hail from
Golkar.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS/45 seats), the National
Mandate Party (PAN/53 seats), and the Reform Star Party (PBR/14
seats) -- remain undecided about whether the House needs to take
a political stance on the fuel policy, despite their previous
rejection of the policy.

Both PKS and PAN backed Susilo during last year's presidential
election.

Like PKS and PAN, PPP, which has 58 seats, has representatives
in Susilo's Cabinet.

If losing in Monday's voting, PDI-P plans to ask the Supreme
Court for a judicial review of Presidential Regulation No.
22/2005 on fuel price increases, an action that five PAN members
took on Tuesday.

Related stories on Pages 2, 3
Editorial -- Page 6