Calls for MPR to do its duty color end of session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Demands, criticism and appeals defined the
\ncountdown to the end of the Special Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) on Friday as the toll from violence
\nin street rallies increased.<\/p>\n
A statement signed by leaders of a number of parties and non-
\ngovernmental organizations said that if the session failed to
\nissue a decree to put Soeharto on trial for 32 years of abusing
\nhis presidential power, \"it would increasingly prove the Special
\nSession is false\".<\/p>\n
Despite opposition from some factions, Soeharto's name was
\nincluded on a final Assembly ruling on stamping out corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Signatories to the statement included Munir of the Committee
\nfor Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Faisal
\nBasri of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Bambang Widjojanto of
\nthe Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation and former abducted activists
\nAndi Arief of The Students' Solidarity for Democracy in Indonesia
\nand Faisol Riza of the People's Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
\"Political stupidity\" was behind the trend to cloud the issue
\nof Soeharto's accountability with legal technicalities.<\/p>\n
In an interview with RCTI television Friday, PAN chairman
\nAmien Rais said MPR members had \"better think fast\" in the
\nensuing hours to produce beneficial results and avoid further
\nbloodshed.<\/p>\n
Several students and at least one police officer have died in
\nclashes in recent days.<\/p>\n
Seventeen individuals, including retired generals Kemal Idris
\nand Ali Sadikin of the National Front, noted paranormal Permadi
\nand the head of the University of Indonesia alumni association
\nHariadi Darmawan, stated in a communique dated Nov. 12 that the
\nsession should be stopped.<\/p>\n
\"The people no longer recognize the House of Representatives
\nand the Assembly,\" the statement said. It advocated that a
\npresidium of national figures, including students, should be
\nformed. Its tasks would include the investigation of all abuses
\nof power allegedly committed by Soeharto and present president
\nB.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
The Crescent Star Party, chaired by noted law professor Yusril
\nIhza Mahendra, blamed the Assembly members' \"ambiguous attitude\"
\nfor partly causing the clashes between pro-reform students and
\nsecurity authorities, including government-enlisted vigilantes.<\/p>\n
\"Certain factions\" wavered \"between fighting for true reform
\nand maintaining the status quo reeking of the New Order\", the
\nparty said in a statement. It warned of disaster if the session
\nfailed to make \"decisions that side with the people\".<\/p>\n
With all the session's shortcomings, Crescent Star said it
\nstill had a legitimate position to issue basic policies to settle
\nvarious problems.<\/p>\n
Similar to Kontras, the party also demanded an end to the
\nsociopolitical role of the Armed Forces. It described it as
\n\"leading to various excesses and damage\" in all areas of society.<\/p>\n
There was no such assent from 12 parties -- including the
\nIndonesian Democratic Union Party chaired by former jailed
\ngovernment critic Sri Bintang Pamungkas -- which reiterated their
\nrejection of the session.<\/p>\n
A statement from the parties, also including the Murba,
\nIndonesian Workers Party and the New Masyumi Party, demanded the
\nimmediate establishment of a transitional government to restore
\nthe economy.<\/p>\n
They also demanded that the immediate agenda for \"total
\nreform\" include the respect for human rights.<\/p>\n
A release from a recognized group of students criticized
\n\"efforts to ignore\" making Soeharto accountable for killings and
\nother human rights violations in various areas across the
\ncountry. The group said it was the public's right to know because
\nit footed the bill for the Rp 20 billion session.<\/p>\n
Arief Budiman, a sociologist teaching in Australia who was an
\noutspoken critic of Soeharto, suggested during a visit here on
\nFriday that compromise may be the best means to overcome
\nwidespread dissatisfaction of the session.<\/p>\n
If the advocated triumvirate with the sole task of preparing
\nthe general election could not be set up, \"B.J. Habibie could
\nremain president but we should have a new Cabinet.\" He believed
\nthe present Cabinet was illegitimate, inclusive of the Assembly
\nwhich was a result of previous elections containing rampant
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
The Crescent Party and the Free Nation Party also voiced
\nsupport for the Ciganjur declaration drawn up by Abdurrahman
\nWahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Amien
\nRais. Issued on Tuesday, the declaration urged that a new
\npresident and vice president should be elected at the latest
\nthree months after the general election next May.<\/p>\n
The Free Nation party's statement also said it hoped the
\nAssembly session could \"make a breakthrough with products which
\nmeet the spirit of reform\".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Textile, Garment and Leather Workers
\nUnion also lauded student efforts which led to the Ciganjur
\ndeclaration. The union said Assembly participants should pay
\nattention to the students' deeds.<\/p>\n
Criticizing Assembly members who have argued Soeharto is freed
\nof culpability in any past wrongdoings because he is now a
\nprivate citizen, the union said he was \"a president (who) for the
\nlast 32 years had brought misery to a population reaching 200
\nmillion\".<\/p>\n
It urged the ruling Golkar political grouping to make the best
\nof the session to apologize to all Indonesians \"for its sins in
\nupholding Soeharto's power which brought suffering to the
\npeople\". (anr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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