Speaker Wahono calls on lawmakers to introspect

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly celebrated their 50th anniversary yesterday, with Speaker Wahono calling on the legislators to introspect about their performance.

Wahono asked the lawmakers to ask themselves if they have carried out their mandate as the people's representatives and as part of a body established to launch democratization.

Wahono also reminded the legislators that the legislative body was established during the transition between the Dutch colonial administration and the fledgling, sovereign Republic of Indonesia to prevent the formation of a repressive or fascist government.

The House and the Assembly have often been called "rubber stamp" institutions because of their eagerness to support government policies and their perceived inability to defend the people's interests.

Under Indonesian law, a House member is automatically an Assembly member. The House and Assembly have 500 members each, consisting of representatives of the three political organizations, the military and other groups.

Wahono recounted the history of the birth of the Central National Committee, in 1945, which was "the embryo of the DPR (the House)."

At that time, he said, "the state needed a body which, it was hoped, would become a vehicle toward democracy, especially (given that the country was) undergoing a transition, from a repressive and fascist colonial administration to a sovereign state."

The Committee was founded by first Indonesian president Sukarno on Aug. 29, or 12 days after Indonesia proclaimed its independence.

Years later, during Indonesia's "parliamentary democracy" period, Wahono recounted, the role of the House grew significantly, to a point at which it could impeach cabinets or the administration itself.

This position contradicted the 1945 Constitution, he said, adding that chaos developed and eventually led to the suffering of the people because the government was never given the opportunity to carry out any development programs.

Guided democracy

Wahono also made mention of the period of "guided democracy" in the 1950s, during which state institutions, including the House, were unable to function.

"Deviations which occurred in the state structure under Guided Democracy and the country's poor economic situation eventually peaked in the communist coup of 1965," he said.

He was referring to the abortive coup attempt by the now- outlawed Indonesian Communist Party.

Wahono said the anniversary of the House was a time for its members to reflect and ask themselves how they have carried out the tasks entrusted to them by the people.

"Has the MPR (the Assembly) acted as the holder of the people's sovereignty...Can the DPR be called a vehicle with which (the country) is implementing a democracy (based on the state ideology) Pancasila?" he said.

Wahono discussed the performance of the House with regard to its functions, including as a body in charge, together with the government, of delivering the state budget, and as a controller of the executive.

Regarding the state budget duty, the House has shown that it has been indeed playing a greater role in the political process, because of its "stronger position," Wahono said.

"This is proof of the people's sovereignty," Wahono said, quoting a passage in the explanatory notes to the Constitution.

Later on in the day, members of the Armed Forces faction in the House witnessed the transfer of their faction leadership from Vice Admiral Abu Hartono to Maj. Gen. Suparman Achmad.

Abu Hartono has recently been appointed ambassador to the Philippines.

Suparman used the occasion yesterday to announce a significant change in the faction's tradition: The faction will not elect any spokesmen and will trust any member to speak on its behalf.

"From now on, every member of the ABRI (Armed Forces) faction will be able to speak about the duties in which he specializes," Suparman said.

The tradition of relying on spokesmen was "felt to be ineffective", he said. Now, "every member should be able to answer questions about his own field of specialization," he said. (swe)