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)