REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BENGKULU -- President Joko Widodo, or popularly known as Jokowi, denied imposing a ban on his ministers from meeting lawmakers at the House of Representatives (DPR).
The statement was made in response to an official letter, dated November 4, 2014, from the Cabinet Secretary Minister Andi Widjajanto to the cabinet ministers urging them to suspend all meetings with lawmakers until internal conflicts in the parliament were solved.
"The letter was circulated on November 4 when internal conflict arose between the two coalitions in the parliament. So, I thought that the government must wait until the conflict is settled," Jokowi remarked on the sidelines of his official visit to Bengkulu province on Wednesday (26/11).
According to Jokowi, the latest development in the parliament indicated that there would be a peace settlement between the party coalitions.
"Today, (Nov. 26), an agreement may be signed in the parliament. After that, if the lawmakers want to meet the ministers, I will allow that," noted Jokowi.
President Jokowi, during his official visit to Bengkulu province on Wednesday, reviewed the distribution of Healthy Indonesia and Smart Indonesia cards, which aim to provide free medical check-up and free education for the poor, respectively.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party's Faction in the parliament Herman Khaeron criticized a letter issued by the cabinet secretary that prevents any minister from attending a hearing by the DPR.
The DPR has been established institutionally, so the government must abide by the Constitution, he emphasized.
"The DPR has legitimized the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla government, as none of the factions' representatives walked out during the inauguration of the president. It is our consequence as a decision maker in line with the laws," he noted.
The government could not say that the DPR did not adopt a firm stance, and therefore, it has issued the letter, he affirmed.
The government has no right to intervene in the parliament, he remarked.
In fact, all factions have submitted the names of their representatives in the Parliament's commissions, and so, they are prepared to hold hearings with the government, according to him.
"We could understand if they used a problem concerning internal coordination among the ministers as an excuse. But, if their excuse is that the DPR is not firm, then it is not correct," he pointed out.
The sooner the government and the parliament communicate, the better, he stated.
He reiterated that the DPR will always support Jokowi's pro-people programs.
"Too many suspicions have been raised against the DPR, despite the fact that we have no such intention," he added.
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