Political moves at DPR unpopular

Kurniawan Hari The Jakarta Post Jakarta

A recent move by legislators to summon President Megawati Soekarnoputri to explain her recent visit to the newly declared country of East Timor met with strong opposition from fellow lawmakers on Tuesday.

"The visit took place and brought no negative impact (to the country). Why (do they) create a problem?" asked Amien Rais, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"As a House member, I think it (the proposal to summon the President) would only create a new problem," Amien said without elaborating.

Baharuddin Aritonang of the Golkar faction, the second largest faction in the House, also expressed opposition to the proposal, calling the petition a "childish move".

The two lawmakers were responding to a move initiated by Golkar's Yasril Ananta Baharuddin to summon Megawati over her visit to East Timor when the tiny country declared its independence on May 19. The move had gained the support of 31 legislators from all factions but the military/police faction.

The move, if pursued, could spark political bickering between the legislative and the executive, which could lead to a weakening governance.

Earlier, a group of legislators submitted a petition demanding Megawati to explain the source of a Rp 30 billion donation she gave to the military and police in February.

Political observers expressed fear that the proposal could affect the performance of the House of Representatives (DPR) in deliberating bills. The House had pledged to deliberate and pass 22 bills in the next three months.

Apart from the 22 bills, the House also has to deliberate bills on elections and political parties, which are urgently needed for the elections in 2004.

In the January to March session, the House failed to meet its legislation target. Of the 22 bills up before the House, the legislators could only deliberate and enact three into law.

Responding to the opposition and criticism, some legislators that lent support to the move denied speculation that it would affect the legislation process.

Hamdan Zoelva of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) said the petition to summon Megawati would not take much time.

"It would only take two hours, so that speculation is only an exaggeration," Hamdan told The Jakarta Post.

Fellow legislator Rodjil Ghufron of the National Awakening Party (PKB) concurred, saying that the slow-paced process of deliberation was caused by the importance of the draft law.

Citing an example, Rodjil said that the deliberation of the bill on the anticorruption commission was stalled due to the inability of legislators and government officials to outline the commission's authority.

The bill on the anticorruption commission was one of the 22 draft laws before the House in the last session, but a team of legislators and government officials was still working on it.

"This is simply because of the bill's content. The team is unable to outline the authority of the anticorruption commission," Rodjil told the Post.