Commission deliberations end smoothly on last day<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The final day of commission-level deliberations
\nin the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) went smoothly
\nyesterday with only a minor \"interruption\" on a technical issue.<\/p>\n
The end of the commission meetings sets the stage for
\ntomorrow's plenary session to formally endorse the State Policy
\nGuidelines and other decrees, including a provision to grant
\nextra powers to the president.<\/p>\n
Such was the brevity of the three commission meetings that it
\ncaught several journalists off guard as they ended ahead of their
\nscheduled two hours time allotment.<\/p>\n
Commission A discussed the State Policy Guidelines, while
\nCommission B talked about the presidential and vice-presidential
\nelections and non-State Policy Guideline decrees. Commission C
\ndeliberated on the President's accountability address.<\/p>\n
The five decrees set to be passed are on extra presidential
\npowers, the Assembly's internal rules, the presidential and vice-
\npresidential elections and the outline of the policy guidelines.<\/p>\n
The swiftness of the commission meetings was not unexpected as
\nprior agreement on the draft decrees had been reached in
\npreliminary session which ended in January.<\/p>\n
The only noticeable incident yesterday occurred when a speech
\nby the United Development Party's (PPP) Bachtiar Chamzah was
\ninterrupted by Golkar's Fahmi Idris.<\/p>\n
Before ending Commission C's meeting, deputy chair Agung
\nLaksono asked all five factions to briefly reassert their support
\nfor the renomination of President Soeharto and the acceptance of
\nhis accountability speech.<\/p>\n
When PPP's turn came, their spokesman proceeded to give a long
\naccount of the party's support for Soeharto and B.J. Habibie as
\nthe presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively.<\/p>\n
Time limit<\/p>\n
Fahmi Idris soon interrupted saying that PPP had exceeded its
\ntime limit and that it was a repetition of previous statements.<\/p>\n
PPP Assembly chairman, Yusuf Syakir, later expressed
\ndisappointment over the interruption.<\/p>\n
Yusuf said the faction felt it was important to state its
\nreasons for nominating Soeharto and Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"This is not a mere village meeting which has little weight
\nand can quickly elect a neighborhood leader,\" he charged.<\/p>\n
Fahmi vehemently argued that PPP had violated procedures when
\nit went beyond its allotted time. \"All the other factions only
\nused up an average of two minutes, but PPP exceeded that,\" he
\nsaid noting that they had run close to five minutes.<\/p>\n
Agung Laksono, who is also a Golkar Assembly member, seemed to
\nsupport the interruption.<\/p>\n
\"An interruption is allowed only if it does not touch the
\nsubstance of the meeting, but only on the procedures and
\ntechnical aspects,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
President<\/p>\n
Later yesterday afternoon, Habibie in his capacity as the
\ncoordinator of Golkar's Board of Patrons, held a closed door
\nmeeting with representatives from the coalition of the Armed
\nForces, bureaucracy and Golkar at the House of Representatives
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
Those seen in attendance included Armed Forces commander Gen.
\nWiranto and the Assembly's Armed Forces faction chief Lt. Gen.
\nYunus Yosfiah, representing the Armed Forces; regional
\nrepresentatives chief Hasan Basri Durin, the home ministry's
\ndirector general for social political affairs Achdari,
\nrepresenting the bureaucracy; and outgoing State Minister of
\nPublic Housing Akbar Tandjung and Golkar executive Abdul Gafur,
\nrepresenting Golkar.<\/p>\n
Few details of the meeting were given, with Tandjung merely
\nsaying that it was a regular update on the results of the General
\nAssembly.<\/p>\n
Tandjung said there was no discussion of preparations for the
\npresidential and vice-presidential inaugurations. He added that
\nHabibie would report the results of the meeting to Soeharto as
\nGolkar's chief patron.<\/p>\n
This afternoon, representatives of the five factions are to
\nindividually meet with President Soeharto at his residence on Jl.
\nCendana, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The meetings will proceed in alphabetical order with the Armed
\nForces faction going first. The factions will tally Soeharto's
\nadministrative requirements and formally ask if he is ready to be
\nrenominated for president.<\/p>\n
The dominant Golkar faction will meet with Soeharto at 3 p.m.
\nwith a delegation comprising of outgoing State Minister of
\nDevelopment Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Akbar Tandjung,
\noutgoing Minister of Information R. Hartono and outgoing Minister
\nof Transportation and Golkar executive Ary Mardjono.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Matareum as saying
\nthat he would not go himself to meet with Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The five representatives from the faction's central board of
\nexecutives will be enough, he said. (das\/byg)<\/p>",
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