Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – A tussle has broken out between the presidential palace and the Parliament in Jakarta over the control of foreign policy, and the focus of their dispute is, strangely – East Timor.

Nationalist legislators from the parliamentary foreign affairs commission are trying to block President Megawati Sukarnoputri's attempts to attend East Timor's official independence celebrations in May.

Ironically, Ms Megawati was one of the harshest critics of former president B.J. Habibie's decision to allow a UN-sponsored referendum in East Timor. An overwhelming majority of East Timorese opted for independence in the 1999 vote. But Ms Megawati is now willing to accept the loss of East Timor and is moving towards developing warmer diplomatic ties with the province, her senior advisers say.

Meanwhile, Commission 1 – the Parliament's foreign affairs, defence and security commission – is using the issue to paint itself as having strong nationalist sentiments, say commentators. The commission is arguing that Ms Megawati's attendance at the celebrations would be a slap in the face to the thousands of Indonesian troops who died fighting East Timorese separatist guerillas.

"So many Indonesian heroes died in East Timor while fighting for the unity of the people and the land," said commission head Ibrahim Ambong. Ms Megawati's presence "will only worsen the yet unhealed wounds of East Timorese refugees" who fled to West Timor due to violence related to the 1999 independence poll, the commission added.

Mr Ibrahim said that because of the "historical background", the commission had called for Ms Megawati and Vice-President Hamzah Haz to boycott the celebrations on May 19 and 20 in Dili. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Ms Megawati was still "contemplating attending" the celebrations.

Observers say the foreign affairs commission is not really concerned about whether or not Ms Megawati visits East Timor but is using the issue to exert its influence over foreign policy. "Commission 1 would like to control all policy, not just foreign policy ... They are playing a power game between the legislative and the executive," said one diplomat.

In another incident, the commission demanded the final right of approval for a new military commander, a demand which it had no right to make.

The diplomat said the commission's call on senior politicians Amien Rais and Akbar Tandjung to snub Australian Prime Minister John Howard was just to flex its muscles. Another commentator pointed out that the commission had little understanding of foreign policy but would take stands on issues which would garner the most public attention.