Susilo wants DPD to be critical

Susilo wants DPD to be critical

Tiarma Siboro and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the next president, held an informal
meeting with all 128 members of the Regional Representatives
Council (DPD) at a hotel in South Jakarta on Sunday and asked
them to be critical of his administration.

Susilo told the press after the meeting that he personally
asked DPD members, four from each province, who were directly
elected in the April 5 legislative election, to offer criticism
that would help his government serve the needs of the people.

"I told DPD members in the meeting to continue to be critical
toward the government in voicing out the aspirations of provinces
they represent about autonomy and decentralization," Susilo was
quoted by detik.com on Sunday.

Last week, the outgoing members of the House of
Representatives (DPR) and the government agreed to amend the
Autonomy Law, despite strong opposition from some regional
administrations.

Susilo denied that the meeting was held in an effort to win
DPD support, but DPD speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita said that the
council could take sides with the government if the latter was
embroiled in political disputes with the House.

"Political disputes between the government and House cannot be
avoided in the future, and DPD may take sides with the executive
branch if we are certainly sure that the government is not
committing any violation," Ginandjar said.

Fears of possible discord between the government and House
grew after the Nationhood Coalition, which controls more than 50
percent of seats in the House, won the speakership on Saturday.

The coalition, which consists of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and the Prosperous
Peace Party (PDS), supported Megawati Soekarnoputri in the Sept.
20 election. Two small parties -- the Reform Star Party and the
Concern for the National Functional Party (PKPB) had joined the
grouping. However, it was weakened on Saturday as the Golkar
chief, Akbar Tandjung, reportedly kicked the United Development
Party (PPP) out of the coalition.

The Democratic Party, which nominated Susilo and Kalla in the
election, has only 56 seats in the 550-member House.

Ginandjar said on Sunday that the council would stand by
Susilo's administration.

DPD member Aksa Mahmud said the gathering was held at the
initiative of DPD members, who wanted to congratulate the pair on
their election victory. Aksa is also a brother-in-law of Kalla.

Meanwhile, factions in the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) continued their closed-door lobbying on Sunday as they
failed to agree on the mechanism to elect Assembly leaders.

Temporary Assembly speaker Agung Laksono opened a plenary
meeting at 4:10 p.m. only to inform the participants that the DPR
and the DPD had failed to reach a consensus. Both the DPR and DPD
make up the Assembly.

The DPD had been demanding a revision of the Assembly's rules
for electing its speaker.

Article 25 of the Assembly's standing orders stipulates that
each Assembly member shall vote for four of six candidates. The
candidate that gets the most votes will be declared the Assembly
speaker and the three runners up will be deputies.

DPR members have insisted that three of the leaders would come
from the House and one from the DPD. The council, however,
insisted that the seats should be equally divided between the
House and DPD, arguing that both bodies were equal.

"We want the House and the Council in equal positions as
reflected in the composition of the Assembly leadership," said
DPD member Ichsan Lalembeh.

At press early Monday morning, representatives of both the
House and DPD were still meeting.