ABRI removes its outspoken legislators<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) will remove its
\noutspoken legislators Maj. Gen. Raja Kami Sembiring Meliala and
\nMaj. Gen. Samsudin from the House of Representatives (DPR) as it
\nreshuffles its faction.<\/p>\n
Sembiring and Samsudin are among 15 legislators from the Armed
\nForces faction who will be replaced as of June 1 as part of what
\nit calls a routine tour of duty.<\/p>\n
According to a list issued by the House's secretariat obtained
\nby The Jakarta Post yesterday, Sembiring will be replaced by Col.
\nUsman Achmad and Samsudin by Col. Djorali Purba.<\/p>\n
The other new legislators to be sworn in on June 1 are Brig.
\nGen. R. Mudjadi, Col. Daniel Toding, Col. Syamsul B. Nasution,
\nCol. Herman Hidayat, Col. Faisal Bedy, Brig. Gen. Bonard Maruhum,
\nCol. Ali Ampan Sidik, Lt. Col. Liberty Junizar Arifin, Vice
\nMarshal Adimulyo, Col. Daryanto, Vice Marshal Ismu Aksoputra,
\nMaj. Gen. Muhammad Affandi and Brig. Gen. Toni Sugiarto.<\/p>\n
Sembiring and Samsudin are best known for their daring
\nmaneuvers that deviated from their headquarters' official
\nstances, and their pioneer political openness when they headed
\nthe House Commission II in charge of home political affairs.<\/p>\n
Sembiring, a former Cendrawasih Military Command overseeing
\nsecurity in Maluku and Irian Jaya, will now sit on Commission II
\nand Samsudin on Commission VII on finance.<\/p>\n
They have also been noted for their defense of poor farmers
\nwho were forced to surrender their land to make way development
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
Sembiring moved to the center of major controversy after the
\nruling Golkar political grouping elected its first civilian
\nleader last October, when he made it clear that no one in
\nIndonesia could become a president unless he had a military
\nbackground.<\/p>\n
Although the Armed Forces insisted that Sembiring was only
\nairing his personal views, observers believed that most ABRI
\nmembers shared his opinion.<\/p>\n
\"I have never been reprimanded by the (ABRI) headquarters for
\nmy comments,\" he once said.<\/p>\n
Samsudin won plaudits when he turned his commission into an
\n\"open house,\" in which the public was free to visit and air their
\ngrievances. Among his guests was a retired brigadier general,
\nIbrahim Saleh, who was also losing his land to a development
\nproject.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, senior leaders of the dominant Golkar faction close
\nto former Golkar chairman Lt. Gen. (ret) Wahono are overwhelmed
\nby unconfirmed reports that they will be replaced in the very
\nnear future.<\/p>\n
Wahono, now the House speaker, lost his chair in a national
\ncongress in September to Harmoko, who became Golkar's first top
\nleader without a military background.<\/p>\n
Sources at the Golkar headquarters have said that faction
\nleader Usman Hasan, his secretary Novian Kaman and coordinator of
\ngeneral affairs Abdullah Zainie will have to pack up and leave
\ntheir office soon.<\/p>\n
Usman, named faction chairman in 1992, will reportedly be
\nreplaced by Mustahid Astari, a liaison officer serving the Golkar
\nheadquarters and the faction.<\/p>\n
Usman and Zainie said they have been bombarded with inquiries
\nabout the possible faction leadership reshuffle, but that they
\nhave failed to obtain confirmation from the headquarters.<\/p>\n
\"Obviously, the board of executives has not discussed it,\"
\nUsman said yesterday. \"Possibly, the rumor was spread by
\nindividuals for their personal political gains.\" (pan)<\/p>",
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