Regional representative discussion gets support
Regional representative discussion gets support
JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly members on
Tuesday expressed strong support for the inclusion of a regional
representatives faction in the Assembly, but decided to defer its
establishment till December.
The delay was felt necessary to prepare for all possible
consequences.
The Assembly's Commission B, tasked with deliberating drafts
of Assembly decrees, agreed late on Monday to propose to the
plenary session the reestablishment of the regional
representatives faction. If approved, the plenary will formally
endorse the proposal on Friday.
The decision was made after regional representatives protested
the original decision to reestablish the faction in the 2001
annual session of the Assembly.
"We still have a lot of work to do before we can reestablish
the faction. There are a lot of problems and technicalities to be
solved," commission chairman Rambe Kamarulzaman said.
"We don't know yet whether all regional representatives are
willing to leave their attachments to political parties behind.
We expect it to be a full faction with 130 members. None of them
can have any affiliations to political parties," he added.
Regional representatives, five from each province, were
elected by provincial councils, after being nominated and
supported by provincial branches of political parties.
The faction's presence was abolished during the Assembly's
1999 General Session.
"There has been an option aired by the regional
representatives that they will assemble as a faction on problems
concerning regional interests but channel their political
aspirations through their parties' factions," said Rambe.
"We must ensure the faction's reestablishment can provide
adequate access to the provinces although political parties also
have their own access," he added.
He also said there were problems with the faction's
organizational technicalities that could affect the running of
the Assembly.
"The representatives must appoint their own faction leaders.
They must also appoint a representative to be Assembly deputy
speaker," he said.
Another problem is the status of deputy speaker Ginandjar
Kartasasmita of the Golkar Party faction. He is also a regional
representative from West Java.
"I don't know how to settle things like this. That's why the
commission suggested the faction be reestablished in December and
not right away," said Rambe. (nvn)