'Nothing is final yet': Harmoko on 'Tempo' case<\/p>\n
KEBUMEN, Central Java (JP): Minister of Information Harmoko,
\nwhose banning of the Tempo magazine was overturned in a landmark
\ncourt decision last week, has appointed the attorney general's to
\nappeal the verdict.<\/p>\n
\"I already signed the power-of-attorney letter,\" Harmoko told
\nThe Jakarta Post here yesterday. \"In this case, the government
\nwill always respect the court and efforts to uphold the law.\"<\/p>\n
\"What we seek is justice and truth, not winning or finding
\nmistakes,\" Harmoko said, adding that he will abide by whatever
\nruling the appeal court issues.<\/p>\n
Harmoko denied having been hasty or emotional in his decision
\nto appeal. He also refused to say whether he will re-issue the
\npublishing license of Tempo, which he revoked last June, should
\nhe lose his appeal.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not talk about any if's. Let's just wait for the
\noutcome (of the proceedings), and let's all respect the court of
\njustice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Nothing is final yet,\" he added, saying that the Jakarta
\nState Administrate Court's decision to topple his ban on
\nWednesday has not yet become a \"legal final decision\".<\/p>\n
The court, in an unprecedented ruling, overturned the ban and
\nordered Harmoko to grant the magazine a new publishing license.
\nThe decision was widely hailed by observers, members of the press
\nand human rights activists, who called it a landmark development
\nin Indonesian press freedom.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) seized the
\nmomentum and proposed that the administrative court's ruling be
\nconsidered as a basis for a Supreme Court review of the
\nministry's authority to grant and revoke publishing licenses.<\/p>\n
The call for a judicial review has been repeatedly made by
\nvarious parties in the past. A number of legal experts believe
\nthat the ministry's authority to revoke licenses violates the
\nhigher Press Law which does not recognize license revocation or
\npublication bans.<\/p>\n
Harmoko refused yesterday to comment on the YLBHI's
\nsuggestion.<\/p>\n
\"Let's not talk about it now... it's an entirely different
\nissue,\" he said. \"We're now talking about the administrative
\ncourt's ruling... we will deal with that first.\"<\/p>\n
He also pledged not to meddle in the court's proceedings.<\/p>\n
Harmoko issued a decree in June 1994 revoking the publishing
\nlicenses of the newsweeklies Tempo, Editor and DeTik. With the
\nappointment of the attorney general as Harmoko's legal
\nrepresentative, the appeal is expected to be filed at the Jakarta
\nhigh court soon.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abdurrahman Wahid, the controversial leader of the
\nNahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization, yesterday joined observers
\nin welcoming the court's ruling.<\/p>\n
\"This is a significant victory for democracy, although by no
\nmeans does it apply throughout Indonesia,\" he said. But \"it's a
\ncontribution by Benjamin for democratization. He will be written
\ndown in history as a judge who upheld democracy.\"<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman also said that, in general, Indonesian
\ndemocratization is still far from satisfying. \"There are so many
\nthings that have to be improved here.\"<\/p>\n
In a related development, the Central Jakarta district court
\nwill convene this morning to issue a preliminary ruling on a
\ncivil petition against Harmoko filed by the ex-Tempo employees.
\n(har\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nothing-is-final-yet-harmoko-on-tempo-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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