PDI-P Prohibits Lawmakers From Taking Part in Europe Trips

PDI-P Prohibits Lawmakers From Taking Part in Europe Trips
SP/Carlos Paath | April 11, 2013



The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has prohibited its lawmakers serving in the House of Representatives’ Commission III to take part in the body’s “comparative study” trips to four European countries, one of its top executives said on Thursday.

“We will not have any members leave in relation to the comparative study of the penal code and procedural penal code laws,” Puan Maharani, the head of the PDI-P faction at the House, said in Jakarta.

The commission, which deals with legal affairs, is sending teams to the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Russia as part of its preparation of the two laws. They will leave on April 14 and return April 19.

Puan said that the party’s legislative faction wanted to focus its energy on getting ready for the 2014 elections.

“We are consolidating for the elections. We are also facing regional elections, and the formulation of the party’s provisional list of candidates. We need to concentrate,” she said.

The legislative body has been scrutinized for its sending lawmakers overseas. Critics say that the trips are a waste of public money since they did not result in concrete contributions to new laws and most of the information gathered is already available online.

The fact that the itineraries for these journeys often include sightseeing tours, and that participants travel with their spouses, has emboldened critics.


Jakarta Globe