Legislator Sri Bintang plans to sue PPP leaders<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Outspoken legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas
\nannounced yesterday his intention to sue the leaders of his
\nUnited Development Party for their plans to dismiss him from the
\nHouse of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Bintang met yesterday with House Speaker Wahono, who has yet
\nto approve the United Development Party's (PPP) proposal, to
\nexplain his position.<\/p>\n
After the meeting, Bintang declared that the PPP move to have
\nhim fired was unconstitutional. \"I don't have a personal interest
\nin this (lawsuit). But I want to correct the House procedures now
\nin force to have a legislator dismissed.\"<\/p>\n
PPP leaders last week announced their intention to have
\nBintang removed from the House of Representatives (DPR). He has
\nbeen accused of transgressing official party lines on a number of
\nissues and for calling the state ideology of Pancasila into
\nquestion.<\/p>\n
Bintang, who was awarded a seat in the House after helping PPP
\nin the 1992 election campaign, has increasingly become more of a
\nliability than an asset. His outspokenness has routinely
\ncontrasted sharply with the conservative stance that PPP leaders
\ntake on most issues.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum handed a letter to Wahono
\nlast week in which he requested to meet with the House leadership
\nto discuss Bintang's dismissal.<\/p>\n
Bintang did not say if he planned to file the lawsuit in a
\ndistrict court or a state administrative court. He said he would
\nhave to first consult with his team of lawyers, that will include
\nHartono Mardjono, a senior PPP politician.<\/p>\n
He is following in the footsteps of Bambang Warih Koesoemo,
\nanother legislator facing dismissal, this time by Golkar, the
\ndominant faction in the House.<\/p>\n
Bambang's case has not been settled but he also has disclosed
\nhis intention to sue Golkar leaders for tarnishing his good name
\nand for accusing him of being unethical during his tenure in the
\nHouse.<\/p>\n
Bintang said that although the practice of \"recalling\"
\nlegislators is recognized by regulations, it is still
\n\"illegitimate\" and violates the principle of democracy.<\/p>\n
A legislator sits in the House to serve the interests of the
\npeople, he asserted, and not the political organizations that
\nappoint them.<\/p>\n
The 1945 Constitution, he said, recognizes three kinds of
\nsovereignty: legal sovereignty, constitutional sovereignty and
\npeople sovereignty. \"If I am to be withdrawn, it must be done
\ndirectly by the people. If I am accused of breaking the law, it
\nmust be proven by the court. If I am accused of violating the
\nconstitution, it must be proved by the MPR (People Consultative
\nAssembly).\"<\/p>\n
Bintang, however determined, is encountering problems in his
\nplan to sue the party leaders because he still has not received
\nany official notice of dismissal.<\/p>\n
He said he knew of the party leaders' moves only from the
\nmedia. \"The PPP leaders won't give me a letter, document, or any
\nform of evidence in connection with the dismissal plan.\" (29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislator-sri-bintang-plans-to-sue-ppp-leaders-1447893297",
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