Regional representatives cause headache for MPR

Regional representatives cause headache for MPR

JAKARTA (JP): What's wrong with the People's Consultative
Assembly, which has yet to give the green light for the revival
of the regional representatives' faction?

And on the eve of the Assembly's special session, the question
has raised worries among major political parties afraid of losing
political support to impeach embattled President Abdurrahman
Wahid.

Maswadi Rauf, a political expert from the University of
Indonesia, said the 130 regional representatives were a headache
for the Assembly, as major political parties, especially the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the
Golkar Party, would do all they could to ensure the regional
representatives' faction was not revived. He said these major
parties fear the appearance of a new force in the Assembly.

"Major factions' attempt to impeach the President during the
special session will likely run aground because the regional
representatives will constitute the second largest faction after
PDI Perjuangan, while major parties will lose a number of their
members who are representing regions," he said during a panel
discussion here on Wednesday.

Maswadi predicted that the situation during the special
session would become tense if the regional representatives'
future remained unclear, while the National Awakening Party (PKB)
and Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) factions were
expected to defend the President's political interests.

He said the regional representatives had a great deal of
bargaining power in fighting for their political aspirations
during the special session.

"The 130 regional representatives could play a role as a wild
card, depending on which parties will support their political
interests. They could back parties' demand for the President's
impeachment if the parties support their proposal, and they could
defend the President if their proposal is not included in the
special session's agenda," he said.

Of the 130 regional representatives, 63 are from Golkar, 39
PDI Perjuangan while the remaining 28 are from the United
Development Party (PPP), PKB and Reform factions.

The regional representatives' faction in the Assembly was
dissolved in 1999 on the grounds that the members were appointed
by political parties.

Harun Alrasid, a professor of constitutional law at the
University of Indonesia, said the dissolution was unlawful
because the faction's presence in the Assembly, like the presence
of other factions, was guaranteed by the Constitution.

"According to the Constitution, the Assembly consists of
legislators from the House of Representatives plus societal
groups and regional representatives. Why? Because the House does
not represent all of the people," he said.

However, he said the regional representatives should represent
various ethnic groups, and should come from the regions they
represent.

"Many regional representatives have never lived in the region
they are representing and many others are actually party
activists," he said, adding that this violated a 1999 law on the
composition of the Assembly, House and provincial and regency
legislatures.

According to this law, regional representatives are to be
elected by provincial legislatures in consultation with
provincial governors, and not with political parties.

"The regional representatives must be independent and
impartial because their duty in the Assembly is to represent
regions and not political parties," he said.

He explained that according to the Constitution, the Assembly
is based on a two-room system, namely legislators representing
their constituents and "senators" representing regions.

Both Harun and Maswadi argued for having a balanced number of
legislators and regional representatives in the Assembly, with
all of those in the Assembly being elected during the general
election.

"The Assembly's composition should be 500 representatives from
political parties and 500 regional representatives," Maswadi
said, adding that the societal group faction should be phased out
because societal groups could join political parties.

Regional representatives who attended the panel discussion
renewed their threat to walk out of the special session if the
Assembly rejected their proposal to revive their faction.

"We want the MPR (Assembly) to be fair. We will walk out of
the special session if the Working Committee declines to insert
our proposal in the special session's agenda," said Vincent T.
Radja, who represents North Sumatra. (rms)