MPR members hail Ciganjur declaration<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Members of the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) hailed on Wednesday a declaration by four popular
\nprodemocracy figures while disagreeing over the demanded deadline
\nfor the establishment of a new government and the phasing out of
\nthe Armed Forces' sociopolitical role.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the dominant Golkar party, Minister\/State
\nSecretary Akbar Tandjung, said the meeting of the opposition
\nleaders could \"inspire\" the MPR Special Session.<\/p>\n
\"The demands were conveyed by public figures who have
\nunquestionable credibility and integrity, so that it is expected
\nthat they will inspire the session,\" Akbar said after attending
\nan Assembly plenary meeting.<\/p>\n
Akbar was referring to a meeting between Amien Rais, chairman
\nof the National Mandate Party; Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the
\nlargest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama; Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, chairwoman of a faction of the splintered
\nIndonesian Democratic Party; and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the
\nrevered Yogyakarta governor, at Abdurrahman's house.<\/p>\n
The organization of the meeting in Ciganjur, South Jakarta has
\nbeen credited to students who had camped out in front of
\nMegawati's house. They demanded that the four figures meet to set
\nstraight the reform agenda which they feared would be \"betrayed\"
\nby the Assembly members.<\/p>\n
The leaders did not meet their demands to form a national
\npresidium but students from the Communication Forum of Jakarta
\nStudent Senates, Siliwangi University and the Big Family of the
\nBandung Technology Institute settled for the result dubbed the
\nCiganjur Declaration.<\/p>\n
The head of the Assembly's Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono, who is also the military's chief of
\nsociopolitical affairs, said the Ciganjur dialog expressed a
\nreminder to all parties to remain united, \"including the pile of
\nhomework which we must do together\".<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces faction welcomed the \"fresh\" ideas in the
\ndeclaration, he said without elaborating. He added that the
\npublic should try to understand ABRI's efforts to reform itself.<\/p>\n
One point in the declaration says ABRI's sociopolitical role
\nshould be phased out at the latest within six years.<\/p>\n
Marzuki Darusman, Golkar's Assembly faction chairman, said
\nGolkar was seeking to bridge public demands with the topics set
\nfor the Assembly's agenda, such as ABRI's sociopolitical role and
\ninvestigations into Soeharto's wealth.<\/p>\n
Aisyah Amini of the United Development Party (PPP) faction
\ndisagreed with the declaration's deadline for ABRI.<\/p>\n
\"We could do it now. Soeharto stepped down suddenly from (the
\npresidency), why can't ABRI do the same?\" she said as quoted by
\nAntara. \"Like the pounding of iron when it is hot, we should not
\nwait till the iron gets cold,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Akbar, however, said Golkar would not set a time limit to end
\nABRI's sociopolitical role, saying that it would depend on ABRI's
\nresponse to the matter.<\/p>\n
He added Golkar was advocating the eventual limitation of ABRI
\nto only seats in the Assembly instead of its current allocation
\nof seats also in the House of Representatives and local
\nrepresentative bodies.<\/p>\n
\"It would also depend on the people's capability to create
\nsolid national unity,\" Akbar said, adding that safeguarding unity
\nwas the very reason for ABRI's sociopolitical role, including its
\nrepresentation in parliament.<\/p>\n
However, Gen. (ret.) Feisal Tanjung of the ABRI faction,
\nwho is also coordinating minister for political affairs and
\nsecurity, dismissed the declaration, saying the subjects should
\nonly be discussed by the Assembly members.<\/p>\n
Golkar faction member Dewi Fortuna Anwar said it was
\n\"technically impossible\" for the Assembly (MPR) to elect a new
\npresident to replace B.J. Habibie three months after the general
\nelection next year, as stated in the declaration. She cited the
\nmany constitutional issues that had to be resolved before a
\npresidential election could take place. (das\/rms\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-members-hail-ciganjur-declaration-1447893297",
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