Legislators seek to interpellate govt over mudflow

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 05/31/2007 8:48 AM

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A group of 16 legislators from East Java is seeking support from other lawmakers to interpellate the government over its sluggish handling of the social and environmental impacts of the mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo.

Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party said that after one year, neither the government nor PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. had made significant progress in handling the mudflow, which has buried 11 villages, displaced 3,500 families, damaged 350 hectares of farming land and 23 school buildings and forced 20 companies to cease operations.

""Despite the issuance of two presidential decrees on the mudflow, the government has not made major progress in handling displaced victims and ensuring fair compensation for residents who have lost their farming land and have no more school buildings for thousands of students to have classes,"" he said Wednesday.

He said legislators' political commitment to aiding the displaced victims was put to the test again following their success in proposing the government be questioned over its support for UN Resolution 1747 on Iran.

""Legislators know better which issue is more urgent. Other current issues will not shield the legislators' eyes on the suffering of the mudflow victims,"" he said.

Ario Wijanarko, a National Awakening Party legislator, questioned the implementation of a 2007 presidential decree on the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure around the mudflow site, saying the government had so far allocated only Rp 500 billion (US$56.81 million) from the state budget despite at least Rp 7.5 trillion being needed to properly finance the rehabilitation effort.

""The government also required that Lapindo pay compensation to all victims under a 2006 presidential decree, but it has been toothless in ensuring victims' rights. The President could not force Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie to provide fair compensation to the victims,"" he said.

PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. is owned by PT Energi Mega Persada, which has links with the Bakrie family.

Ario also challenged the contribution made by the national team mandated with addressing the social impacts of the Lapindo mudflow. He said the government should declare the mudflow a national disaster and handle grievances itself, but have Lapindo reimburse the funds to be spent.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle expressed its full support for the interpellation, saying it has also urged the government to file a lawsuit against Lapindo for environmental crimes.

The Prosperous Justice Party called for the establishment of an ad hoc court to try Lapindo to ensure the miner's accountability for the social, environmental and educational impacts of the mudflow.

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