National

Indonesia-GAM Agreement: Government Does Not Need DPR Approval
Tuesday, 26 July, 2005 | 00:36 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:A meeting between Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the government negotiation team, leaders of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the House of Representatives (DPR) and political parties on Sunday night (24/07) agreed that the agreement between Indonesia and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was a domestic agreement.

Therefore, the government does not need the approval of the DPR.

They agreed that the government only needed a consultation meeting with DPR before the signing of the agreement with GAM on August 15.

However, the consultation meeting would not be considered as a forum to request approval.

“This will only be used to provide an explanation on the negotiation results,” said MPR Speaker deputy AM Fatwa after the meeting held at the residence of Vice President

The government has been restricted by the agreement not to reveal all results of the negotiation.

“There are many sensitive matters in the negotiation that cannot be revealed to the public,” said Fatwa.

The meeting also discussed GAM’s hopes to participate in politics through local parties.

According to Golkar party chairman Rully Chairul Azwar, a discussion regarding local parties and DPR will be carried out following the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between GAM and Indonesia.

Based on the agreement of both parties, the establishment of local parties still requires a long time, around 1.5 years.

So far, several parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P) and the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) still object to the establishment of local parties.

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid has opposed the government’s plan in establishing local parties.

“In this democratic era, it would be very improper to establish local parties,” said Wahid in his political speech during the commemoration of the 7th Anniversary of PKB at the Pancasila Hall in Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday (23/07). (Yuliawati/Purwanto/Adi Mawardi-Tempo News Room)