Bagus BT Saragih and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Responding to growing public protests against plans to construct a new legislative building, parties in the House of Representatives are attempting to stem the wave of resistance but have not clarified their stance on the plan, which has already cost taxpayers tens of billions of rupiah.
According to the construction plan, the new building would give each of the 560 legislators and their aides a 111.1-square-meter office worth Rp 800 million.
Only two parties, which initially agreed with the initial Rp 1.16 trillion (US$133.4 million) construction plan, have stated that they would agree to scrap the controversial plan when other parties agreed to discuss it at a House plenary session.
The People's Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP) said the cancellation of the project, scheduled to begin in June, could be reached but must go through a consultative meeting involving representatives from all seven parties at the House.
"We agree to an inter-party meeting, because I see many parties have shifted their stances," PKB lawmaker Abdul Kadir Karding said.
National Mandate Party (PAN) claimed it was joined by two opposition parties, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), in rejecting the plan, which has been criticized as being expensive and a waste of taxpayer money.
The opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) initially agreed to the proposal, but following massive criticism its lawmakers issued mix statement, with some insisting on going ahead with the construction while others called for a reevaluation of the plan.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has also not issued a clear stance on the issue. So far, only the Golkar Party has stood by its initial decision to support the plan.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party had initially supported the proposal, but one of its lawmakers, Achsanul Qosasi, said the party would not protest if the plan was dropped as long as the decision was endorsed by all parties.
Some of the political parties attempted to shift the blame to House Speaker Marzuki Alie for his failure to take a firm decision in response to public anger over the issue. However, Marzuki insisted he did not have the power to cancel the project as it was the decision of a House plenary session.
He said a plenary meeting to discuss the new building plan could be held soon as long as all participants agree on it. "House speakers cannot cancel the planned construction. The decision to construct a new building was made at a plenary meeting, therefore a plenary session is the only legal forum to cancel the plan," Marzuki claimed.
The leader of the House PPP wing, Hasrul Azwar, claimed the party initially approved of the plan due to political pressure from major political parties.
"We actually opposed the proposal since the beginning. We approved it because we were told to," he said, but did not say where the pressure came from. Hasrul said his party supported the idea of hold a consultative meeting. "I hope all parties endorse the cancellation [of the project]," he said.