Political Party Board Members Cannot Hold Ministerial Posts
Thursday, 22 February, 2007 | 12:35 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Political party board members will no longer be able to hold ministerial posts anymore.

The State Ministry Draft Bill will forbid political organization board members from becoming ministers while they are still board members.

“This is a politician’s biggest sacrifice,” said Arbab Paproeka, deputy chairman of the special committee that is steering the draft bill, after an internal meeting at the Parliamentary Complex, yesterday (21/2).

The provision is included in the State Ministry Draft Bill proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Article 17 contains the prohibition for ministers to hold posts at: state institutions; political parties; boards of commissioners or directors of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) or private enterprises and other organizations funded by the state or regions.

Arbab said he hoped that ministerial posts will be filled by professionals.

If this is agreed upon, he said, the provision will be effective for the next cabinet.

Today the DPR Special Committee and the State Secretary will start discussing the list of inventoried problems in this proposed legislative draft bill.

The State Secretary will submit the bill of the government’s version and will also convey his viewpoint on the DPR’s draft bill.

Saifullah Ma’shum, a member of the DPR Special Committee, said that the President can still select political party board members for the cabinet.

Political party board members must step down from their party posts after accepting a ministerial post.

“This is effective for all levels,” said the National Awakening Party (PKB) politician.

Yesterday, the House’s Special Committee received input from academicians of five universities.

Most of them were concerned that the DPR’s version of the draft bill would cut out the President’s prerogative rights.

This limitation is regarded as being contradictory to the presidential system.

GUNANTO E S