Soeharto writes letter to House to amend broadcasting bill
Soeharto writes letter to House to amend broadcasting bill
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has written to House Speaker
Wahono to request a second deliberation of the broadcasting bill,
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said yesterday.
Moerdiono did not say when the letter was sent, but the
protocol marks the beginning of the bill's review in the House of
Representatives. The House had passed the bill early in December
last year after seven months of deliberation.
Neither Wahono nor his five deputies were available for
confirmation.
Moerdiono told a hearing with House Commission II on internal
affairs last week that Soeharto had refused to enact the bill
because he wanted it amended.
This will be the first time that a bill has been deliberated
twice under the New Order.
Newly inducted Minister of Information Hartono revealed four
articles last Friday which were likely to receive the most
extensive review.
They included the stipulation that a national television
station's coverage must reach half of the country's population.
It is unclear if this restricts national broadcasters to reaching
less than half the population or if it means they must reach at
least half the population.
Another stipulation to be reviewed says that broadcasting
licenses must be renewed every five years.
Hartono said the bill should be passed for a second time
before the legislators' term expires on Sept. 30.
Chief Golkar legislator Moestahid Astari predicted yesterday
that the House would appoint a small committee to deliberate the
bill.
"Many of the legislators who deliberated the bill are now busy
with deliberations of other bills. It's unnecessary to form a big
team to discuss only four or five articles," Moestahid said.
The broadcasting bill comprises 78 articles, 20 more than when
it was first introduced to the House by then Minister of
Information Harmoko.
The House is currently deliberating eight bills, which are
expected to be passed by Sept. 30.
Moestahid said his faction welcomed the amendment plan, saying
that it could serve as a good lesson for the government and House
legislators.
"This unprecedented second deliberation has taught us a lesson
that we should deliberate a bill as thoroughly as possible,"
Moestahid said.
Aisyah Amini of the United Development Party and B.N. Marbun
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) have expressed their
opposition to a second deliberation. They said the legislators
had labored to reach agreement with the government during the
last deliberation.
They suggested the President enact the bill first and then the
government could propose revisions to the law.
PDI legislator Sabam Sirait said the government had the right
to issue a substitute regulation to the bill.
The bill is expected to become Indonesia's first law on
broadcasting. (06/amd)