Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Environmental non-governmental organizations said the new Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Sustainable Development at the House of Representatives should use the community perspective when dealing with environmental problems.
The House declared the establishment of the caucus last December during the Climate Change Conference in Bali as an effort to facilitate policy formulation in handling environmental problems.
Siti Maimunah from the Mining Advocacy Network said the caucus and the House should use the community perspective in their recommendations and decisions.
She criticized the House for using the "commodity perspective" when handling environmental issues like Lapindo mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.
"The House's statement that Lapindo mudflow was a natural disaster has closed public access to the rights to demand the accountability of those responsible," she said in a discussion here Monday.
In fact, she said, the House should be on the public's side and the newly established caucus should work to accommodate the public's aspirations.
Selamet Daryoni of the Jakarta branch of Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said the caucus should perform as a medium for stakeholders, such as politicians, academicians and NGOs, to communicate everyone's aspirations.
"No domination should take place in the decision making," he told The Jakarta Post.
He said there was a fear the caucus could be used for certain political interests.
"Certain parties have often used such caucuses to carry out their interests, resulting in recommendations that bring no benefit to the public," he said.
Confirming this, Nizar Dahlan, a lawmaker with the House's Commission VII on environment, said the new caucus was planning several programs that would involve many elements.
"We're planning to coordinate some class actions as our concrete commitment to supporting the public interest in environmental issues," he told the Post.
He also said the caucus was continuing to empower its representatives in some regions to fulfill the local people's aspirations.
"We'll send more representatives to other regions to facilitate monitoring and control on environmental issues," he said.
NGOs have criticized caucuses, which are considered important by many, for failing to influence the legislators to translate their recommendations into actions.
For example, Selamet said, the Jakarta Environmental Caucus, which opposed new highways in the city, didn't get support from House members.
He said he hoped the new parliamentary caucus would bring improvements on the environmental issues in the country as it had been established by the House itself.
"Caucuses within the legislative body should have a strong degree of commitment and consistency so they can bring improvements," he said.
Last year was marked by significant progress for the legislative body as the Parliamentary Caucus on Women succeeded in ensuring a 30 percent quota for women's representation in the legislative body in the bill on political parties.
Environmental non-governmental organizations said the new Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Sustainable Development at the House of Representatives should use the community perspective when dealing with environmental problems.
The House declared the establishment of the caucus last December during the Climate Change Conference in Bali as an effort to facilitate policy formulation in handling environmental problems.
Siti Maimunah from the Mining Advocacy Network said the caucus and the House should use the community perspective in their recommendations and decisions.
She criticized the House for using the "commodity perspective" when handling environmental issues like Lapindo mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.
"The House's statement that Lapindo mudflow was a natural disaster has closed public access to the rights to demand the accountability of those responsible," she said in a discussion here Monday.
In fact, she said, the House should be on the public's side and the newly established caucus should work to accommodate the public's aspirations.
Selamet Daryoni of the Jakarta branch of Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said the caucus should perform as a medium for stakeholders, such as politicians, academicians and NGOs, to communicate everyone's aspirations.
"No domination should take place in the decision making," he told The Jakarta Post.
He said there was a fear the caucus could be used for certain political interests.
"Certain parties have often used such caucuses to carry out their interests, resulting in recommendations that bring no benefit to the public," he said.
Confirming this, Nizar Dahlan, a lawmaker with the House's Commission VII on environment, said the new caucus was planning several programs that would involve many elements.
"We're planning to coordinate some class actions as our concrete commitment to supporting the public interest in environmental issues," he told the Post.
He also said the caucus was continuing to empower its representatives in some regions to fulfill the local people's aspirations.
"We'll send more representatives to other regions to facilitate monitoring and control on environmental issues," he said.
NGOs have criticized caucuses, which are considered important by many, for failing to influence the legislators to translate their recommendations into actions.
For example, Selamet said, the Jakarta Environmental Caucus, which opposed new highways in the city, didn't get support from House members.
He said he hoped the new parliamentary caucus would bring improvements on the environmental issues in the country as it had been established by the House itself.
"Caucuses within the legislative body should have a strong degree of commitment and consistency so they can bring improvements," he said.
Last year was marked by significant progress for the legislative body as the Parliamentary Caucus on Women succeeded in ensuring a 30 percent quota for women's representation in the legislative body in the bill on political parties.