PDI donates session honorariums

PDI donates session honorariums

JAKARTA (JP): The "I Love My Homeland" drive, initiated by
People's Consultative Assembly member Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana who
sold U.S. dollars for rupiah, returned to the spotlight yesterday
after a period of inertia.

It was the faction of the minority Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) which gave new blood to the nationwide campaign to help the
government alleviate the economic crisis. The party announced it
was donating the honorariums, worth Rp 9.600.000 (US$1,120), that
were to be given to its 16 legislators.

PDI spokesman Antonius Rahael did not explicitly refer to the
Hardiyanti-led nationalistic drive when he announced the
faction's intention before an Assembly plenary session yesterday.

"This prolonged economic crisis has become not only our common
concern, but our neighboring countries' as well. We, therefore,
have to fight together to survive the crisis," he said.

"We call on the other Assembly members to follow in our
footsteps," he added.

The PDI faction, the smallest in the 1,000-member Assembly,
also comprises Fatimah Ahmad, who is also Deputy Speaker of the
Assembly, Panangian Siregar, Idi Siswaya, Bambang Mintoko,
Sujanto, Budi Hardjono, Markus Wauran, Sebastian Massardy Kaphat,
Nicholaus Daryanto, JB Wiyanjono, Buttu R. Hutapea, who is PDI
secretary-general, Ismunandar, Clara Sitompul, Soedaryanto and
Yahya Theo.

All the members of the Assembly's quinquennial convention from
March 1 to March 11 earn an honorarium of Rp 600,000. They also
receive a daily allowance of Rp 60,000, plus luxurious
accommodation and meals in hotels.

Rahael, who is also a House of Representative member,
suggested that Assembly leaders organize the donation campaign.

"We all have to take part in the efforts to solve the crisis,"
he said.

Hardiyanti, the eldest daughter of President Soeharto, led a
group of Assembly legislators to exchange some of their U.S.
dollar savings into rupiah in January.

Other than selling U.S. dollars, many people have also donated
jewelry to the state. (amd)