Mon, 08 Nov 2004

Tension eases within the House: Speaker

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono claimed on Saturday the two opposing coalitions in the legislature had agreed to put an end to their current deadlock, with the People's Coalition promising to attend plenary and commission meetings.

Agung said the agreement was reached during an informal meeting between House leaders and the leaders of the 10 House factions on Friday evening.

"The two groups no longer blame each other and the conflict has eased," Agung said during a working visit to the Bakauheni seaport in Lampung on Saturday.

"All of the House factions have promised to return to commission and plenary meetings," Agung was quoted by Antara as saying.

The meeting on Friday evening was attended by M. Hata of Golkar Party, Panda Nababan of the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Erman Suparno of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Endin AJ Soefihara of the United Development Party (PPP), Abdillah Toha of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Irwan Prayitno of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

The House split over the election mechanism for leaders of the commissions and auxiliary bodies. The Nationhood Coalition and the National Awakening Party (PKB) insisted that the chairmanship posts of the commissions and auxiliary bodies be put to a vote, while the pro-government People's Coalition wanted the posts to be distributed proportionally among the House factions.

The People's Coalition -- comprising PPP, PAN, the Democratic Party (PD) and the PKS, as well as several small parties -- has boycotted all plenary and commission meetings over the past two weeks, bringing the House to a standstill.

Agung said the faction leaders came to an understanding of each other's positions during the informal meeting.

"It (the understanding) will be very instrumental in dealing with existing problems," said Agung of Golkar. In addition to Golkar, the People's Coalition includes the PDI-P, the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS).

However, he declined to reveal how the factions would resolve their deadlock over the commission chairs.

Asked about a possible power-sharing agreement between the factions, Agung said it would be discussed by each commission.

The Nationhood Coalition, which is the dominant force in the House, has offered the People's Coalition three chairmanship and 12 deputy chairmanship posts for the House commissions and auxiliary bodies.

The deputy chairman of the PKS faction, Irwan Prayitno, said his faction was willing to forgo any leadership positions with the commissions and auxiliary bodies if it would help end the deadlock.

"If it would end the conflict, and if the House would readopt its old standing orders, our faction is willing not to receive any posts," Irwan was quoted by detik.com news portal as saying on Saturday.

He said faction leaders were expected to hold another meeting on Sunday to reach some kind of consensus on the dispute.

People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hideout Narrowed called on legislators on Saturday to end their dispute, which he said would prevent the House from doing its job.

"If the dispute cannot be settled, the House cannot monitor and control the government," he said.