Anita Rachman, Jakarta – The opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle on Wednesday lambasted the House of Representatives' decision to continue with the much-criticized plan to build a new office building, calling for the antigraft body to get involved.

Gayus Lumbuun, deputy faction chairman of the party, known as the PDI-P, said his party remained steadfast in its opposition of the construction and demanded the plans be dropped.

"It's clear that we are against the plan. We are firmly rejecting it because we see no urgency. A legislator's job is to work, not to ask for comfortable facilities," Gayus said.

"It must be questioned, why are they so eager to pass this idea?" he said of the House leadership.

The statement came a day after Pius Lustrilanang, deputy chairman of the Household Affairs Committee (BURT), announced that construction of the new House office building would start in 2011.

He said all factions had agreed to postpone the construction until next year. Gayus questioned why the House leadership and the BURT wanted to forge on with the idea, which has been harshly opposed by the public.

Protests have already prompted a review of the plan, and the budget has been cut from Rp 1.8 trillion ($200 million) to Rp 1.3 trillion ($145 million).

Gayus aired suspicions that ongoing efforts to have the building built pointed to something fishy, and said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the State Finance and Development Comptroller (BPKP) should look into the project.

The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) also said the trimmed-down budget indicated the possibility that the original budget had been unnecessarily raised.

Fitra secretary general Yuna Farhan agreed that the KPK and the BPKB should look into the project. "The project must benefit all factions, if none refused the idea," he said on Wednesday.

He said the KPK's role was not only to probe corruption cases, but also to prevent them. House Speaker Marzuki Alie said the BPKP was already involved and that if the KPK wanted to become involved it could do so.

Deputy House Speaker Anis Matta, from the Prosperous Justice Party, said the House would review the design of the building, and the construction costs would fall as a result.

Anis argued that the building was needed in order to accommodate about 5,000 employees, because legislators will have more advisers in the future.

Jafar Hafsah, the ruling Democratic Party's House leader, said his party would also review the possibility of further cutting down the budget for the plan. He said, however, that the ruling party would continue to support the plan.