Indonesian Lobbyist Forum

9/08/2012

Berlusconi's Secret Underground Cave Revealed

4/05/2010

JURIST - Forum: Sovereignty, Atrocities and Accountability

Remarkably, the United States Supreme Court and the International Court of Justice are addressing nearly identical issues at the same time: the application of sovereign immunity in suits for war crimes and other atrocities. Although the two courts may be unlikely to look to each other for guidance, the very existence of parallel cases about still unresolved issues speaks volumes.

It tells us that the notion of jurisdictional immunity for states is no longer automatic. It drives us to think about the role of sovereign immunity as a bar to jurisdiction and, more importantly, about the limited recourse victims of atrocities have to find justice through retribution and restitution. Finally, it spurs us to think about the policy considerations that rarely come to light amid technical discussions of statutory interpretation.

Hak Nyatakan Pendapat Bukan untuk Jatuhkan SBY - news.okezone.com

JAKARTA - Meski kian gencar menggalang dukungan untuk menggulirkan usulan hak menyatakan pendapat, inisiator hak angket Century / Tim 9 membantah rencana itu dimaksudkan untuk menjatuhkan pemerintahan Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"Jangan ada lagi yang mengatakan hak menyatakan pendapat itu untuk menjatuhkan pemerintah, hak itu hanya menguatkan peran DPR," ujar anggota Tim 9, Akbar Faizal dalam jumpa pers di kediaman Jusuf Kalla, Jakarta, Minggu (4/4/2010).

4/04/2010

Statue fight in Indonesia only partly about Obama

JAKARTA, Indonesia - For Rosono Rachmat, every memento marking a personal tie to Barack Obama is a precious thing indeed.

Rachmat, who goes by the nickname Nono, cherishes, for example, an elementary school class picture of himself standing with the wide-eyed boy who grew up to become the president of the United States. He wouldn't part with that photo for any amount of money, he says.

So Rachmat is baffled by an ongoing controversy over a statue erected in a public park to commemorate the four years Obama spent here in Indonesia's capital, where he lived until age 10 and was referred to as Barry.

The 43-inch bronze statue, financed by several of the president's Indonesian supporters, shows a boy dressed in shorts, T-shirt and sneakers, holding a butterfly in his outstretched hand with the words: "The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams."

JURIST - Paper Chase: Pakistan lawmakers weigh bill to curb presidential powers

[JURIST] Pakistani lawmakers were weighing a constitutional bill Friday that would greatly limit the powers of President Asif Ali Zardari [official website], reversing the expansion of presidential powers under former military leader Pervez Musharraf [BBC profile, JURISTnews archive]. If passed by both houses of parliament, the 18th Amendment Bill would transfer presidential powers to the office of the prime minister [official website], effectively reserving the presidency as a figurehead. Among other changes, the president will no longer have the power [ANI Report] to dissolve parliament, dismiss the prime minister, or appoint the chief of the armed forces. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani [BBC profile], who would be eligible for a third term under the legislation, stressed that the bill would strengthen Pakistani institutions [Pak Tribune report]. Zardari expressed hope that the bill would be passed as soon as possible[press release].

3/30/2010

JURIST - Paper Chase: Indonesia constitutional court rejects challenge to broad anti-pornography law

[JURIST] The Indonesian Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a controversial anti-pornography law. The law was purportedly designed to protect younger generations from pornographic and lewd materials. Critics challenged the bill for being too broad, discriminating against women, and targeting aspects of Indonesian tradition and culture, but the court rejected those arguments.

Intense lobbying behind health reform - Chris Frates - POLITICO.com

Behind President Barack Obama’s public push to pass sweeping health care reform, there was an equally intense behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to influence the legislation and the outcome of Sunday’s historic vote. Powerful interest groups worked almost around the clock last week, meeting with wavering Democratic lawmakers and huddling with leadership staff to push reform over the finish line.

Regenerasi PDIP Masih Andalkan Trah Soekarno

"Sebenarnya, selama ini Megawati menggadang-gadang Puan yang akan dipersiapkan menjadi pemimpin PDIP, namun belakangan Megawati dan orang-orang ideologis kecewa terhadap sikap politik Puan yang lebih pragmatis. Ini membuat Megawati dan kelompok ideologis mencari jalan tengah dengan mengusung Prananda untuk menempati posisi wakil ketua umum," kata peneliti senior Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) Burhanudin Muhtadi, di Jakarta, Selasa (30/3).

3/22/2010

What's the Point of Nuclear Weapons on Instant Alert? - ABC News

In the next few weeks, President Barack Obama will publish his delayed Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), setting out the role nuclear weapons play in US defence.

Photo: What's the point of nuclear weapons on instant alert?

A Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.,...

(USAF/Getty Images)

This is Obama's opportunity to end one of the most dangerous legacies of the cold war: the nuclear missiles the US and Russia keep ready to fly in minutes. The signs are that he is unlikely to take it.

This leaves the questions why does the US keep its nuclear weapons "on alert", and are they really needed?

The NPR is expected to state that the US will not use its nukes to attack a country that does not itself have nuclear weapons - as long as that country complies with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - and it may renounce nuclear weapons as a response to chemical or biological attack. It may also say 2500 "spare" US nuclear warheads will be destroyed.

Blood given for democracy

BANGKOK - 'I DID this to show the spirit of Thai people fighting injustice,' said Chuleeporn Ruangsinprasert, 52, as a syringe of her blood was poured into a bottle for a messy show of political defiance.
Standing in a white tent littered with dirty cotton swabs, the retired university worker had joined thousands of red-clad protesters taking part in a mass blood collection to be spilled at the gate of the premier's office. 'This is special, it is coming from my heart. I want to give my blood for society so we are no longer controlled by the elites who have all the power,' added Ms Chuleeporn, as she pressed her small puncture wound.

3/20/2010

On health vote, Democrats are polls apart - Josh Kraushaar and James Hohmann - POLITICO.com

So far, none of the Democrats agonizing about how to vote on health care reform has announced, “I’m just going to do whatever is most politically expedient.”

But on the chance — call it a hypothetical — that this might actually be the decisive factor, wavering lawmakers find themselves confronted with a disorienting barrage of polls and even more disorienting arguments about what the polls really mean.

It’s been an odd sideshow to this week’s climactic showdown on Capitol Hill: Even in a city obsessed with polls, they have rarely played such a public role — openly wielded as weapons or shields by both sides — in the final stages of a legislative debate.

3/17/2010

The Center for Public Integrity | PaperTrail Blog - MONEY

The Center for Public Integrity | PaperTrail Blog - MONEY & POLITICS: Health Reform Lobbyist Mistakenly Errs on Side of Transparency

If numbers are to be trusted, longtime advertising lobbyist Jim Davidson of Polsinelli Shughart is the top dog of the 2009 health care reform battle. Davidson’s name shows up 88 times, more than any other lobbyist, in a Center for Public Integrity database of health reform lobbyists compiled from U.S. Senate lobby disclosure records.

But, as is often the case when trying to nail down influence peddling in Washington, Davidson’s records are both accurate — and misleading. Davidson comes out first, because unlike other lobbyists, he did not take advantage of a loophole shielding individual company names from disclosure when lobby dollars are channeled through nonprofit associations. The case illustrates the complexity of tracking money spent by industry to protect its interests on the Hill.

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Broadband plan alarms broadcasters - Jeanne Cummings - POLITICO.com

The Federal Communications Commission’s long-awaited plan for expanding broadband access nationally is raising concerns from the National Association of Broadcasters, whose members could be asked to give up control of some airwaves to make the system work.

“We were pleased by initial indications from FCC members that any spectrum reallocation would be voluntary, and were therefore prepared to move forward in a constructive fashion on that basis,” said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton in a statement.

Indonesia urges US to reconsider ban on training | Fort Mill Times - Fort Mill, SC

JAKARTA, Indonesia --

Indonesia urged the U.S. on Monday to consider lifting a ban on working with a commando unit accused of human rights abuses a decade ago, saying the country's military has undergone significant reform.

Indonesia's special forces have concentrated on counterinsurgency issues in recent years, but were accused of major abuses in the former Indonesian province of East Timor in the late 1990s. East Timor has since become independent.

Several countries, including the U.S. and Australia, suspended joint military training in the wake of the allegations, though Australia resumed training in 2005.

3/16/2010

US-Indonesia military deal uncertain

WASHINGTON - THE United States said on Monday it could not predict when it would resume full military ties with Indonesia, as it laid out the details of President Barack Obama's trip to Jakarta and Bali next week.
President Obama spent four years as a boy in Indonesia with his late mother, but the trip is more geared to business, focusing on trade, security and diplomacy rather than his biography or his childhood haunts.

China Without Google: 'A Lose-Lose Scenario' - ABC News

China without Google — a prospect that looks increasingly likely — could mean no more maps on mobile phones. A free music service that has helped to fight piracy might be in jeopardy. China's fledgling Web outfits would face less pressure to improve, eroding their ability to one day compete abroad.

The extent of a possible Google Inc. pullout from China in its dispute with the communist government over censorship and hacking is unclear. But on top of a local search site that Google says it may close, services that might be affected range from advertising support for Chinese companies to online entertainment.

"If Google leaves, it's a lose-lose scenario, instead of Google loses and others gain," said Edward Yu, president of Analysys International, a Beijing research firm.

3/12/2010

Boikot Wujud Konsistensi DPR

JAKARTA--MI: Wacana DPR untuk memboikot Menteri Keuangan Sri Mulyani Indrawati, meski bukanlah suatu hal yang baik, tapi tegas menunjukkan konsistensi DPR atas keputusan di Sidang Paripurna DPR.

Pengamat Politik UIN Bachtiar Effendi mempertanyakan kewibawaan dan konsistensi politik DPR jika masih menerima kehadiran Sri Mulyani dalam sidang-sidang DPR. Pasalnya, dengan diterimanya opsi C dalam Sidang Paripurna DPR (4/3), menurut Bachtiar, kredibilitas Sri Mulyani di mata DPR sudah jatuh. "Dia (Sri Mulyani) kan sudah dinyatakan bersalah secara politik. Kalau kemudian, DPR masih berhubungan dengan Ibu Sri Mulyani, kewibawaan DPR di mana, konsistensi politiknya di mana," tegas Bachtiar di Jakarta, Jumat (12/3).

Dalam situasi normal, lanjut Bachtiar, memang menteri keuangan yang harus menyampaikan RAPBN ke DPR, tapi dalam situasi ini, seharusnya presiden tidak memaksakan untuk mendelegasikan tugas ini ke menteri keuangan. Sebagai alternatif, presiden bisa saja mendelegasikan tugas ini kepada menko perekonomian, dirjen anggaran, atau wakil menteri keuangan.

3/10/2010

Megawati Tolak Barter Century Suap PDIP

Meski dibantah, aroma barter tetap saja menyengat dalam pertemuan Taufiq Kiemas dengan Syarief Hassan.

KETUA Umum PDIP Megawati Soekarnoputri tidak akan membarterkan penyelesaian skandal Bank Century dengan kasus cek perjalanan yang diduga melibatkan 19 anggota Fraksi PDIP DPR.

Nama 19 anggota Fraksi PDIP itu disebut oleh jaksa dalam sidang perdana di Pengadilan Tipikor Jakarta, kemarin, dengan terdakwa Dudhie Makmun Murod.

Mereka disebut menerima suap dalam bentuk 'traveller's cheque' seusai pemilihan Deputi Gubernur Senior Bank Indonesia Miranda Goeltom pada 2004.

Sidang kasus suap itu digelar hanya lima hari setelah Rapat Paripurna DPR memutuskan kebijakan 'bailout' Century bermasalah, serta merekomendasikan agar sejumlah nama yang bertanggung jawab, termasuk mantan Gubernur BI Boediono dan Ketua KSSK Sri Mulyani, diproses lebih lanjut.

Pembagian Cek Disingung di Rapat Internal PDIP

JAKARTA--MI: Mantan politisi PDI Perjuangan yang menjadi pelapor kasus penerimaan cek perjalanan ke Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) Agus Condro mengungkapkan, pembagian cek dalam pemilihan Deputi Senior Gubernur Bank Indonesia, pernah disinggung dalam rapat internal partai.

Ia mengungkapkan, jauh sebelum pemilihan Deputi Gubernur Senior yang digelar pada 8 Juni 2004, telah beredar rumor bahwa setelah pemilihan Miranda, tiap-tiap anggota Komisi IX akan diberi uang.Â Topik cek perjalanan mengemuka, kata Agus, dalam rapat internal yang digelar sebelum pertemuan di Hotel Dharmawangsa yang dihadiri Miranda pada 29 Mei 2004.

3/09/2010

Barter Perkara Fakta atau Fiksi

KEPUTUSAN angket kasus Bank Century oleh Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat sudah final dan telah menjadi dokumen negara. Dalam dokumen itu jelas tertulis sejumlah nama yang dianggap bersalah dan karena itu harus bertanggung jawab.
Sejauh legitimasi di ranah hak angket (politik) keputusan DPR itu mengikat, akan tetap tercatat dalam dokumen politik bahwa Boediono yang kini wakil presiden dan Sri Mulyani yang sekarang menteri keuangan menjadi dua dari sekian banyak nama yang harus bertanggung jawab atas indikasi pelanggaran.
Tetapi, kita tahu bahwa kebenaran politik itu elastis. Karenanya tidak ada supremasi politik. Yang ada cuma supremasi hukum. Itulah sebabnya kebenaran hukum itulah yang diakui sebagai kebenaran mengikat.
Karena elastis, kebenaran politik menjadi subjek perundingan. Terbuka ruang tawar-menawar untuk mengompromikan kebenaran itu sebelum dia berproses ke ruang hukum.
Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Wakil Presiden Boediono, dan Sri Mulyani telah menolak vonis politik yang ditetapkan DPR. Sebaliknya, DPR berkukuh vonis politik memiliki fakta-fakta kuat untuk dilanjutkan ke ruang hukum.