Govt will not hold dialog on succession: Yogie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
\ndismissed yesterday suggestions to hold a national dialog
\ndiscussing presidential succession.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the idea of holding such a dialog was groundless.<\/p>\n
\"The people's aspirations have been included in the draft of
\nState Policy Guidelines,\" he told journalists.<\/p>\n
The minister was responding to a proposal by political
\nobserver Amien Rais, who suggested Saturday that a national
\ndialog, discussing presidential succession, be held before the
\n1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) when it
\nconvenes in March.<\/p>\n
Amien, chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem
\nOrganization, also suggested that the public be included in the
\nnational dialog, to be held through open seminars, polls
\npublished by newspapers, or debates and quizzes on radio and
\ntelevision stations.<\/p>\n
Presidential succession is a rare issue brought up only by a
\nvery limited number of political figures or observers.<\/p>\n
Many leading figures and prominent analysts believe President
\nSoeharto will retain his post for another five-year presidential
\nterm.<\/p>\n
Asked whether presidential succession was also included in the
\nState Policy Guidelines, Yogie said state leadership succession
\nwas ruled under a separate mechanism.<\/p>\n
\"The presidential succession issue will be discussed in the
\nfive-yearly meeting of the Assembly,\" he remarked. \"All input
\nfrom people will also be discussed in the same forum,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Members of the Assembly will meet on March 1 to elect a
\npresident and vice president. They will also draw up the State
\nPolicy Guidelines on the occasion.<\/p>\n
Yogie was speaking to journalists yesterday about a briefing
\nwith members of the provincial legislative councils.<\/p>\n
Yogie said the briefing was meant to refresh their minds on
\nthe 1945 Constitution, laws and other regulations.<\/p>\n
\"We (the government) do not teach them knowledge about
\nlegislative tasks. They are more clever than the government on
\nthe issue,\" he said. \"You (journalists) should not be suspicious
\nof the briefing,\" he added.<\/p>\n
People<\/p>\n
Separately, deputy House speaker of the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nfaction, Soetedjo, said yesterday that a national dialog on
\npresidential succession should be the prerogative of the people.<\/p>\n
\"It will rest on the people. If people insist, then go ahead,\"
\nhe said after the transfer-of-duty ceremony of the House's Armed
\nForces faction chief from Suparman Achmad to Hari Sabarno at the
\nHouse building.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, former ABRI House faction chief Lt. Gen. Suparman
\nAchmad said it was not necessary to \"teach\" legislators how to
\nrespond to people's aspirations because the House, through its
\nfactions, actively sought and absorbed people's aspirations
\nwithout being ordered.<\/p>\n
\"The House's Armed Forces faction has quietly held dialogs
\nwith people,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"It's not necessary to publish our activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said that it was not part of Indonesia's democratic
\nculture to discuss issues on succession on televised talk shows,
\nas found in Western countries.<\/p>\n
\"Discussions on presidential succession should only be held by
\nHouse factions, not by individuals,\" he said, adding that the
\nArmed Forces faction had also absorbed people's aspirations on
\nthe issue.<\/p>\n
Amien's suggestion found support from political scientist J.
\nKristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n
Apart from the debate on presidential succession, he also
\nurged seminars, debates and discussions on a variety of national,
\npolitical, economic and social issues.<\/p>\n
\"Discourse should never halt,\" he said adding that if public
\ndebates ceased, the government would consider the public content
\nwith prevailing situations.<\/p>\n
\"Public debates, aspirations and disagreements should be
\ndisplayed,\" he said. (imn\/10)<\/p>",
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