Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Although inaugurated three weeks ago, House of Representatives lawmakers will be unable to start their legislative duties until next Wednesday as they are still jostling for chief positions in the House's 11 commissions and auxiliary bodies.
After a series of tough debates over the past week, the legislators agreed that the commission heads would be elected through a vote next Wednesday.
"Fierce rivalry among factions has caused the prolonged selection of commission leaders. I hope this can be settled soon, so we can start work," House deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said on Friday.
The legislators have already reached a consensus on the number of commission chief posts each faction will be allocated, with the Golkar Party, the largest faction, obtaining four, the PDI-P faction three, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party factions two positions each and the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Pioneer Star (BPD) factions securing one chief post each.
A source said the factions were combating each other for leadership posts in commissions considered "lucrative", such as Commission II for domestic and legal affairs, Commission XI for finance and the budgetary committee.
The Commission II leadership post is sought after because lawmakers receive bonuses for each proposal for the establishment of an autonomous region, the source said. Golkar, Democratic Party and BPD factions are vying for the commission's top post.
The budgetary committee is also deemed strategic because it deals with the House's internal budget. Golkar, PPP and PAN factions are eyeing the top post in the committee.
Golkar and PDI-P, meanwhile, are locking horns for the chief post of Commission XI. The two are the backbone of the Nationhood Coalition, which joined forces to win the election of House speaker early this month.
The rivalry among the House factions has also delayed discussion on the replacement of Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto. A House plenary meeting last week agreed to assign Commission I for defense to discuss the issue.
The House discussed the selection of commission leaders in three meetings on Thursday last week, last Thursday and Friday.
PPP legislator Arif Mudatsir Mandan acknowledged that the political struggle in the House should be settled immediately, otherwise "it will tarnish the House's credibility".
But Achmad Hafiz Zawawi of Golkar said the prolonged selection of leaders of the commissions should not be blamed on the legislators alone.
The legislators, he said, could discuss the structure of the commissions only after the President announced the Cabinet lineup. "We hope we can finish this debate no later than a week after the formation of the Cabinet," he said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono unveiled his Cabinet just before midnight on Wednesday. The House will hold a plenary meeting on Tuesday to endorse the membership of 11 commissions and their government counterparts.