Jakarta – The House of Representatives Committee on Thursday urged the government to delay the purchase of Russian jet fighters as the deal had violated the current state budget guidelines.

Effendy Choirie, deputy chairman of the House committee probing the controversial deal, said that the committee would ask the government to include the purchasing plan in next year's budget.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri concluded the purchase of four Sukhoi jet fighters and two Mi-35 assault helicopters worth US$192.6 million in a countertrade deal in April.

"We will ask the government to include the plan to purchase jet fighters in the 2004 state budget," Choirie told reporters after a meeting with the House Speaker, Akbar Tandjung.

Choirie, a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction said that the committee had asked Akbar to bring the Sukhoi issue to the People's Consultative Assembly's Annual Session. The MPR Annual Session will take place between August 1 and August 10.