ABRI hails national coalition proposal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs,
\nLt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah, said yesterday the proposed coalition for
\npolitical reform would only be welcomed if it was aimed at
\nsecuring the economy and not at creating instability.<\/p>\n
\"People are not prohibited from having opinions on state
\nmatters, which are different from the government,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yunus said he had not seen any indication that the coalition
\nwould disrupt political stability.<\/p>\n
\"I still cannot see the threats of the coalition to the
\ncountry's political stability as the coalition is yet to be
\nestablished,\" he said. \"We should just wait for further
\ndevelopment of the proposal.\"<\/p>\n
The proposal for a political coalition was suggested by
\npolitician and chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah
\nMoslem organization, Amien Rais.<\/p>\n
Amien said Tuesday that calls for reform would be more
\neffective if Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI), and Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nchairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
\norganization, united in a rally for reform to settle the monetary
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the proposal for a national dialog, Yunus
\nsuggested that the dialog should be organized by the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
\"Only the DPR, which has the authority to claim it represents
\nall elements in society, can do that,\" he said. \"I doubt that the
\ndialog, if organized by any institution other than the DPR, will
\ninclude all elements.\"<\/p>\n
Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum welcomed a national dialog intended to ease the mounting
\neconomic crisis, saying it was a necessary breakthrough to live
\nup to public expectations.<\/p>\n
He said the dialog should involve non-government institutions
\nor even government critics.<\/p>\n
\"The government should listen to advice from everybody, as
\nlong as it is intended to help Indonesia out of the crisis,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana said such a
\ndialog, if it happened, would only bear some fruit.<\/p>\n
\"In my opinion, the dialog occurred during election rallies
\n(last year), in which we met and talked to people, more
\nappropriate. Therefore, to let the people's representatives in
\nthe legislative bodies deliberate the people's aspirations,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hardiyanti, President Soeharto's eldest daughter, said she
\nwould support the idea to hold the so-called national dialog, as
\nlong as it did not break the law or the constitution.<\/p>\n
Nomination<\/p>\n
In a separate development, the deputy chairman of the Golkar
\nfaction, Abdul Ghafur, said yesterday that no single faction in
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly had the capability to force
\nPresident Soeharto to step down.<\/p>\n
\"We know Pak Harto as a man who cannot be forced to do or not
\ndo something,\" said Ghafur after meeting with Vice President Try
\nSutrisno at Merdeka Selatan Palace.<\/p>\n
Ghafur, who is also deputy speaker of the Assembly, said
\nGolkar would also not force Soeharto to accept his renomination
\nas president.<\/p>\n
\"History recorded how Soeharto turned down an offer from the
\nAssembly to elect him as the President in 1967. But as a fighter
\nhe eventually accept the task,\" Ghafur said.<\/p>\n
Ghafur recalled how Soeharto asked Golkar in October not to be
\ntoo hurried in renominating him.<\/p>\n
\"We appreciate his attitude. However Golkar in its recent
\nleadership meeting decided again to renominate him,\" Ghafur said.
\n(imn\/amd\/prb)<\/p>",
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