Minister explains bill to reduce ABRI seats<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The military might lose some seats in the House
\nof Representatives (DPR) but its socio-political role would
\nimprove, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. said
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The move to cut the representation of the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nin the DPR from 100 to 75 seats would provide more room for the
\nestablishment of a "government of the people", Yogie said.<\/p>\n
The minister was speaking during a plenary session of the
\nHouse, chaired by Deputy House Speaker Soerjadi, deliberating the
\ngovernment bill under which ABRI's numbers in the House would be
\nreduced.<\/p>\n
Yogie was explaining the reasons behind the move, its possible
\nconsequences for Indonesian politics and what needed to be done
\nto ensure the continuity of ABRI's political role.<\/p>\n
He said ABRI's role in the DPR was by no means a "transient
\nnecessity". It was necessary, he said, to safeguard democracy.<\/p>\n
The military's presence in representative bodies "is an
\ninherent need of our democracy," Yogie said. "People who think
\nthat the military presence in the DPR and the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) is obstructing democracy are entirely
\nmistaken."<\/p>\n
"The military's presence is in fact a realization of a
\ndemocracy which is based on the state ideology Pancasila," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Pancasila ideology consists of five principles: belief in
\none God, national unity, humanitarianism, democracy through
\nconsensus and social justice.<\/p>\n
The government bill proposes a review of article 10 of the
\n1985 Law on the Structure and Composition of the House of
\nRepresentatives. Article 10 states that 400 of the House's seats
\nshould be contested by the three existing political groups at the
\ngeneral elections, while the other 100 seats are reserved for the
\nArmed Forces, whose members do not vote.<\/p>\n
The 1985 Law is a revision of a 1969 Law on the DPR's
\nstructure and composition, which provided for 75 DPR seats for
\nthe military.<\/p>\n
Yogie said that everyone, including military personnel, had
\nthe right to be involved in various decision-making processes
\nwhich determine the governing activities in society.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he said, the presence and participation of ABRI in
\nthe DPR and MPR represented "the basic values (adhered to) by a
\nstate which recognizes the principle of integralism as dictated
\nby Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution."<\/p>\n
The number of seats in the DPR was important in guaranteeing
\n"the ability of ABRI to carry out its role as the dynamizer and
\nstabilizer" in society, Yogie said.<\/p>\n
However, improvements in the domestic political situation had
\nreached a stage at which ABRI was encouraged to gradually change
\nits leadership roles and to take a backseat in society, he said.<\/p>\n
The change, however, must not affect ABRI's roles in security
\nand defense, he said. "These roles as mandated in the 1982 law on
\nstate security and defense should still be guaranteed", he said.<\/p>\n
"This guarantee can only be given by the (high) quality of
\nABRI, both individually and collectively, and the adequate number
\nof its personnel and its roles in the DPR," he said.<\/p>\n
Government and House officials have said that the new bill
\nshould be made law in time for the next general election in 1997.<\/p>\n
With the cut in the number of ABRI representatives there will
\nbe an extra 25 seats to be contested by the three political
\norganizations: Golkar, the United Development Party and the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party.<\/p>\n
"This means the political organizations will have the
\nopportunity to increase their representation and fulfill the
\nwish of the people to have a government by the people, of the
\npeople and for the people," Yogie said. (swe)<\/p>",
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