New DPR Building Project Continues

The construction plan for the new House of Representatives’ (DPR) building will go ahead. A consultation meeting between DPR leaders, factions, and the House Internal Affairs Committee (BURT) voted to continue with the Rp1.1 trillion project. “Most factions agreed to it,” DPR deputy chief Anis Matta said yesterday.

The factions that agreed to the plan include the Democratic Party, Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) and Hanura.

Anis said that most factions agreed because the plan referred to a meeting in October 2010. Nevertheless, the DPR will try to minimize costs. “The Public Works Ministry will determine the prices,” he said.

Two factions, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Gerindra disagreed with the plan.

Gerindra faction’s secretary Edhy Prabowo, said the new building was not an urgent need. “We will gather moral movement to reject it,” he said.

PAN faction’s secretary, Teguh Juwarno, said the consultation meeting did not consider public needs. He also said the DPR did not consider President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s comments, made earlier that day.

Yudhoyono said the construction should be postponed if it did not meet the standards. “It can even be canceled if it really is unnecessary,” he said, when officially closing the meeting.

Tegus said the decision would serve as a lesson that the government should take heed of public sentiment. “This is what we regret,” he said, adding that his faction suggested the decision be voted on at a plenary meeting. Anis said the decision would not be taken to the plenary. “The consultation meeting is enough to decide it,” he said.

Indonesia Corruption Watch expressed disappointment with the DPR’s decision. “That clearly opposed the President’s statement and the people’s aspiration,” said ICW deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho.