Wanted: Partner for commission
I Wayan Juniarta, The Jakarta Post, Jimbaran, Bali
The National Awakening Party (PKB) is considering an alliance with other political parties and non-governmental organizations to establish an independent constitutional commission.
PKB Secretary General Muhaimin Iskandar said here on Friday said that an alliance would have to be formed in case the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) refused to set up the commission.
"We want to set up a truly independent commission, which will act as a public opinion-building force. It will also act as a pressure group on constitutional reform," he said on the sidelines of the 3rd ASEF (Asia-Europe Foundation) Young Parliamentarians meeting.
The ongoing Assembly session is scheduled to amend the 1945 Constitution.
Non-governmental organizations based in Jakarta have been stepping up pressure for the establishment of an independent constitutional commission, which is free from intervention by politicians.
They are seeking a revision of the 1945 Constitution, which they say is outdated and full of rulings subject to varying interpretations -- something that had been manipulated by the New Order government for 32 years.
Muhaimin was here to open the four-day meeting in his capacity as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR). The conference is being participated in by 48 people from 15 countries.
Muhaimin stressed that the constitutional commission was a necessity at this time, when the relationship between the country's political parties was heavily dominated by a conflict of interests.
In such a politicized atmosphere, Muhaimin said, the commission could play a vital role as a mediator between those parties.
Muhaimin said the commission would represent public participation in the amendment of the Constitution.
Assembly leaders have so far insisted that the amendment of the Constitution is the Assembly's prerogative. The public may contribute ideas but should not be involved in the drafting process.
An alliance of non-governmental organizations called NGOs Coalition for a New Constitution has maintained that politicians should not be involved in the amendment otherwise it would reflect their (politicians') vested interests.
"The envisaged commission is needed to give the common people a chance to participate in the amendment process. We can learn from the experiences of Thailand and other countries in reforming their constitution," Muhaimin said.
Separately, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung rejected the idea of forming an independent commission, asserting that the task belonged to the MPR and the amendment was in process.
"I think we had better let the Assembly deliberate on this amendment in the current Annual Session," he said.