PPP steadfast in rejecting extra presidential power<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The minority United Development Party (PPP)
\nbought more time yesterday with its rejection of the motion to
\ngive the next president extra power, forcing the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) to delay its decision on the draft.<\/p>\n
Up to yesterday -- the end of the usual three days allotted
\nfor the deliberation of an MPR decree -- PPP kept challenging the
\ndecree sponsored by dominant Golkar and its allies, the Armed
\nForces and the regional representatives factions.<\/p>\n
PPP spokesman Zain Badjeber said the Moslem-based faction
\ncould agree to the material, but wanted the extra power to be
\nincluded in the 1998\/2003 State Policy Guidelines rather than be
\nestablished as a separate, more powerful decree.<\/p>\n
He hinted, however, that the faction might eventually give in.<\/p>\n
The decree, if passed, would give the next president the
\nauthority to take preemptive measures against those considered to
\nbe undermining the national development program. The Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) also supported the motion.<\/p>\n
\"We need time to regroup for an internal consultation. I have
\nlisted all items which caused debate during the deliberation, and
\nwill discuss them with PPP executives,\" Zain said.<\/p>\n
A minor discrepancy was the choice of words for the Assembly's
\nextra mandate to the president, according to Zain.<\/p>\n
He said PPP insisted that the mandate be \"granted\" to the
\npresident, while the majority said the authority was
\n\"transferred\".<\/p>\n
Chief of the Assembly's committee deliberating nonstate policy
\nguideline decrees, Wiranto, said the semantics were not serious
\nconcern for the committee.<\/p>\n
He said all five factions had agreed that the extra power
\nwould become effective in the 1998\/2003 president's tenure and
\nthe Assembly would consider extending the term of the mandate in
\nthe general session.<\/p>\n
However, the committee could not agree on what procedures a
\npresident should undertake when accounting for the use of that
\npower to the Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"Each of the factions will hold an internal consultative
\nmeeting to discuss the proper mechanism,\" Wiranto said.<\/p>\n
A committee member, Suparman Achmad, said the next president
\nwould not have to exercise the extra power if the country already
\napplied a national security law.<\/p>\n
\"The decree would serve ... to deter any attempts ... to
\nendanger the national unity and development program,\" Suparman of
\nthe Armed Forces said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense Edi Sudrajat told a hearing with the House
\nof Representatives Tuesday that the government had completed a
\ndraft of the national security bill and was ready to submit it to
\nthe House for deliberation.<\/p>\n
\"We place the bill as top priority. Hopefully we can
\ndeliberate it next year,\" Edi said.<\/p>\n
The Assembly committee spent the second half of its meeting
\nyesterday listening to arguments of each faction in response to
\nPDI's draft of the Pancasila democracy concept. (amd)<\/p>",
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