The House of Representative’s will mount pressure on the government to support Iran’s civilian nuclear program regardless of the UN’s nuclear watchdog report, says a lawmaker, in the latest development that may see parliament claiming a greater role in Indonesia’s foreign policy.
Speaking in a seminar on Indonesia’s foreign policy at Paramadina University, Muhamad Najib, a lawmaker from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said Jakarta had been too cautious in reiterating support for Iran’s nuclear program.
He said Jakarta had yielded to western pressure, which was channeled through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“IAEA is biased in its report on Iran’s nuclear program because there are many vested interests in the body,” said Najib. “We know that nuclear weapon countries such as Israel have refused to sign the NPT [Non-proliferation Treaty] and thus are not subject to the IAEA review, but the US has never voiced concern.
“Indonesia can no longer base its position over Iran by relying on IAEA reports.”
In 2007, Indonesia voted in favor of a sanction against Iran at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in a move that outraged the House. Lawmakers summoned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to explain the decision although he did not appear at the House.
A year later, Indonesia abstained from voting over a new round of sanctions against Iran, saying that the IAEA reported that Tehran was cooperative enough in their nuclear program.
Andri Hadi, the foreign ministry’s director general for information and public diplomacy, said Jakarta’s position on Iran was based on IAEA reports and would continue to be although it said it would consult with the House over the issue.
“We have good relations with the House and we do not yield to pressure from the West or the lawmakers in this case.”
The Iranian nuclear spat is one of many issues in which the government fell hostage in its foreign policy agenda because of a pro-Iran sentiment at home, observers said.
After the reform era in 1999, foreign policy making was democratized with the House beginning to assume a greater role in determining the foreign policy agenda.
The government now must seek House approval over ambassadorial posts and also ratification on bilateral or multilateral agreements with other countries.
The House, for instance, annulled Jakarta’s defense cooperation agreement with Singapore in 2007 over an objection that Indonesia’s territory would be used for its national military training.
The House also slowed down ratification of the ASEAN Charter and refused to ratify a bill on ASEAN haze pollution.
Bima Arya Sugiarto, PAN chairman and a lecturer at Paramadina University, said there were many challenges facing Indonesia’s foreign policy if the government failed to maintain its six party coalition in the House following the trouble Century bailout.
“There will be great challenges ahead if the coalition does not survive. Foreign policy depends on the domestic political constellation.”
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