'President can't reject elected legislators'

'President can't reject elected legislators'

JAKARTA (JP): The President cannot reject legislative
candidates if their personal documents are incomplete,
a constitutional law expert said yesterday.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the President's endorsement of 1,000
House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly
legislators was a formality.

Yusril was commenting on yesterday's announcement that a
screening committee would examine the administrative credentials
of elected legislators.

The 15-strong committee, set up by the General Elections
Institute, will make its recommendations on Sept. 15. The
President would then approve candidacy.

"The right to drop legislators is in the hands of each
political party contesting the general election and the Armed
Forces," Yusril said. "Consequently, the President cannot refuse
signing the list of elected legislators."

Chief Justice Sarwata is scheduled to swear in the 1,000
legislators on Oct. 1.

The 500 House legislators are automatically members of the
Assembly. The remaining 500 are selected from various professions
and groups by the country's 27 provinces. The Armed Forces, whose
members do not vote, has 75 House seats reserved for it.

Yusril said the committee would verify the previous screening
conducted by the institute prior to the announcement of
candidates.

"Who knows if a second examination will find a legislator has
double citizenship or links with a banned organizations," he
said.

Political scientist Muhammad A.S. Hikam, from the National
Institute of Sciences, said the committee was no cause for
concern if it dealt only with administrative issues.

"Administrative order should apply to elected legislators
because they cannot do bureaucratic jobs themselves," he
said.

Hikam suggested that a better political system would give
legislators' more independence, including the power to draw up
and manage their own budget.

"For the House to carry out its legislative duties effectively
it should have control of finance," he said.

A special committee formed to deliberate the House internal
rule has supported a proposal from the United Development Party
(PPP) faction to give the House authority to set and manage its
own annual budget.

The House committee, however, agreed that the budget would
remained part of the State Budget. (amd)