Jakarta – Embattled Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid's long-awaited accountability speech will be the main order of business on Monday at the country's top legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). Following are details of the 700- seat MPR, which will convene from August 7-18 at a cost of 25 billion rupiah ($2.9 million):

Besides Wahid's accountability speech, the MPR is expected to discuss a number of constitutional amendments.

Members will vote using electronic devices, which were ignored during a session last October that elected Wahid because of fears the equipment might have been tampered with.

Composition

The MPR comprises 500 members from a democratically-elected parliament and 200 regional and community representatives. Not all those 200 representatives belong to political parties. Only 695 MPR members have actually been sworn in.

Under former President Suharto's iron rule, the MPR met once every five years to appoint him unopposed and rubber stamp his policies. New regulations mean the newly-empowered MPR meets once a year to call the president to account for his performance. This will be the first of those annual sessions.

Seats of main parties in MPR

185 – Nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) of Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri. 182 – Former ruling Golkar party, led by parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung. 70 – Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP), led by former government minister Hamzah Haz. 57 – Moslem-oriented Nation Awakening Party (PKB) of President Wahid. 48 – National Mandate Party (PAN) of MPR speaker Amien Rais and a smaller party that call themselves the Reform Faction. 38 – Military and police appointees. 115 – Collection of other parties and representatives.

Powers

Indonesia's highly centralised system of government gives the president wide powers to govern by decree, and ministers are directly appointed by the president. There have been suggestions some of those powers could be watered down by the parliament. But only the MPR has the authority to amend or make additions to the constitution. It also has ultimate authority to remove a president.

Possible constitutional amendments:

• The MPR elects the president and vice president. Some MPR political factions want this to be by popular vote, which would require a constitutional change. Megawati's PDI-P has opposed such a motion, even though the vice-president is widely popular.
• Establishing a prime ministerial system, which could be used to keep Wahid out of harms way.
• Making clear the process for removing a president.
• Making clear the president can come from any of Indonesia's ethnic groups, including the Chinese community. The current constitution can be interpreted to mean only ethnic Indonesians can hold the top post.
• Adding references to a range of human rights that the state must guarantee.

The current constitution does not mention the central bank. There are two proposals being mooted to incorporate this, one that largely defines Bank Indonesia's current status as an independent institution.

However, the second refers to Indonesia having an independent central bank or other monetary authority. This could lead to the dissolution of Bank Indonesia and the emergence of a different authority to conduct monetary tasks.