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.

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