Tiny PDI loses out on senior House position

JAKARTA (JP): The dominant party, Golkar, and the United Development Party (PPP) have refused to accommodate the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) request for top posts in the House of Representatives despite its dismal election performance.

Golkar legislator Syamsul Mu'arif revealed that the PDI had called for changes to the House's internal rules to enable the party to help chair House commissions.

The request was made at a meeting of a special committee, which Syamsul chairs, to deliberate amendments to the 14-year-old internal rules to improve legislators' performance. The committee was also set up to anticipate problems in the House's decision making processes arising from the PDI's under-representation.

The PDI won only 11 of the House's 425 seats contested in the May 29 general election. Golkar won 325 and the PPP gained 89. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote.

House rules say that a commission should be chaired by representatives from all four factions. A commission chairperson is not allowed to sit on the House's supplementary bodies in charge of inter-parliamentary cooperation affairs and internal affairs.

The House has 10 commissions and a special commission for the state budget.

Syamsul said that, although Golkar believed in proper representation, a commission's chairmanship could comprise less than four people. Golkar also demanded that any faction with at least three people in a commission deserved a chair position on that commission.

"It is unfair if the PDI secures a chairmanship post in a commission by fielding just one representative. This, on the other hand, will eliminate PDI legislators' right to speak," Syamsul said.

House rules stipulate that only commission members are allowed to speak or raise questions in sessions. A commission chairperson must step down before being allowed to address the commission.

Syamsul said the PPP was more straightforward than Golkar because it had suggested that the House drop the principle of ideal representation.

"A commission's chairmanship does not need to comprise all four factions. The chairmanship may exclude the PDI if necessary," Syamsul quoted PPP spokesman Alimarwan Hanan as saying.

Syamsul said the four factions had agreed in principle to simplify procedures for the House legislators to exercise their right to control the government.

The PDI and PPP have complained that the House's performance has suffered because it has had to deal with complicated procedures before it could question government policies.

"The House lives in shackles of its own creation," a PDI statement said.

The special committee is expected to release its recommendations by July 22. (amd)