Fourth faction rejects speech<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB)
\nfaction became the fourth faction in the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) to reject President B.J. Habibie's accountability
\nspeech, while the United Ummat Sovereignty faction stood alone on
\nSaturday in its outright acceptance of the speech.<\/p>\n
Of the Assembly's 11 factions, four rejected the speech, one
\naccepted it and six factions failed to come down on one side or
\nthe other, referring the speech to the Assembly commission which
\nwill be formed to deliberate the speech.<\/p>\n
As with the proceedings on Friday night, Habibie patiently sat
\nin front of the Assembly taking notes as the factions delivered
\ntheir views on his accountability speech.<\/p>\n
Representing PDKB, Manasse Malo not only rejected Habibie's
\nspeech, but also asked Habibie to voluntarily renounce his
\npresidential candidacy.<\/p>\n
"We appeal for the readiness and sincerity of Bapak B.J.
\nHabibie to allow the people to emerge from this catastrophe while
\nmaintaining the country's unity and tranquility," Malo said as he
\nread the faction's review to the Assembly's plenary session.<\/p>\n
Malo's faction deplored Habibie's embarrassing record on human
\nrights, likening it to tragedies in Kosovo and Rwanda.<\/p>\n
PDKB's rejection followed rejections by the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Indonesian
\nNationhood and National Awakening Party (PKB) factions during
\nFriday's plenary session.<\/p>\n
Four other factions -- the Golkar Party of Reform, United
\nDevelopment, Reform and the Crescent Star -- expressed
\nreservations with Habibie's accountability speech on Friday, but
\nfailed to formally accept or reject the speech.<\/p>\n
Instead, they referred the accountability speech to the
\nAssembly commission for deliberation.<\/p>\n
In his address on Saturday, Malo not only criticized Habibie's
\nrecord as head of state, but also referred back to Habibie's
\nrecord as state minister of research and technology and president
\nof state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT IPTN.<\/p>\n
He even linked the banning of Tempo magazine in 1994 to
\nHabibie.<\/p>\n
"Habibie is the golden boy of former president Soeharto, with
\nextraordinary power in managing state resources. President B.J.
\nHabibie's style in managing these resources is similar to
\nSoeharto's; no transparency or accountability," Malo said.<\/p>\n
The United Ummat Sovereignty faction was the only faction
\nwhich openly accepted Habibie's speech, albeit with some
\nreservations.<\/p>\n
Faction chairman Achmad Sjatari said it was unfair to demand
\nthe President make significant changes to the economy and the
\ncountry's political system in such a short time in office.<\/p>\n
"Habibie, as a human being, has weaknesses and made mistakes
\nin his efforts to accommodate the demands of the reform
\nmovement," he said.<\/p>\n
Sjatari said it was not the current administration but the
\nformer New Order regime which should be blamed for the crises,
\nbecause the country's present situation was the result of
\nirregularities during the old regime.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military\/National Police and interest group
\nfactions failed to reach definite conclusions in their overviews
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
The 38-member Indonesian Military\/National Police faction was
\nrepresented by Maj. Gen. Ide Ketut Astawa, who said that despite
\nsome progress, Habibie's administration failed to significantly
\nremedy the country's prolonged economic and political crises.<\/p>\n
He said his faction was particularly concerned with four
\ncrucial points -- the East Timor issue, the Bank Bali scandal,
\nhuman rights violations and the suspension of the investigation
\ninto the alleged corruption by former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Astawa also called on the Assembly to find a peaceful and
\ncomprehensive solution to East Timor.<\/p>\n
"For 23 years, the military has paid a high price defending
\nEast Timor's integration into Indonesian, but it is something the
\nmilitary has to accept as part of its mission to defend the
\nnation," he said.<\/p>\n
The government's decision to halt the investigation of former
\npresident Soeharto was highlighted by the 65-member interest
\ngroup faction, which said Habibie was not serious in handling the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Faction spokesman Achmad Zacky Siradj said Habibie and his
\ngovernment failed to realize that allegations of corruption
\ninvolving Soeharto and his associates were not only a legal
\nmatter, but also a political one.<\/p>\n
He said the Attorney General's Office was pressured by certain
\ngroups which did not want the former president to be brought to
\ntrial.<\/p>\n
In a related development, National Mandate Party (PAN) deputy
\nchairman Abdillah Toha said here on Saturday his party's central
\nboard had asked its faction in the Assembly to reject Habibie's
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
"We are pushing the MPR to reject Habibie's accountability
\nspeech because we feel that Habibie has failed to carry out the
\npeople's mandate," he said.<\/p>\n
PAN and the Justice Party make up the Reform faction, which on
\nFriday did not take a final position on the President's
\naccountability speech.<\/p>\n
"This is a binding agreement to all PAN members," he said of
\nthe directive. But when pressed further, he said it was difficult
\nto compel individual party members if it came to a vote on the
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
"I think after last night, morally, Habibie doesn't stand a
\nchance anymore," he said. (02\/rms\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fourth-faction-rejects-speech-1447893297",
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