PPP take steps to initiate firing Sri Bintang<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party chairman Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum yesterday initiated the process to have one of his
\nlegislators removed from the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan, popularly known as Buya, said he presented a
\nletter to House Speaker Wahono suggesting a \"consultation\" about
\nthe firing of Sri Bintang Pamungkas.<\/p>\n
By regulation, a party can only \"recall\" one of its
\nlegislators after consulting with the House leaders and with the
\napproval of President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Technically, the House Speaker can deny the request if it is
\nin the interest of maintaining the integrity of the House and to
\nprevent parties from arbitrarily dismissing members.<\/p>\n
Buya, who is also one of the House's deputy speakers, said
\nyesterday that he hoped to have the meeting with Wahono after the
\nIdul Fitri holiday.<\/p>\n
He defended the United Development Party (PPP) action to
\nremove Bintang saying that the legislator had done irreparable
\ndamage to the party by questioning the validity of Pancasila, the
\nstate ideology.<\/p>\n
This is a principle matter, he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"We have given a lot of thought to this issue,\" Buya said.
\n\"All the party leaders agree that Bintang's questioning of
\nPancasila was unacceptable behavior.\"<\/p>\n
There were similarities between the PPP handling of Bintang's
\ndismissal and the efforts of Golkar, the dominant faction in the
\nHouse, to remove its legislator Bambang Warih Koesoemo.<\/p>\n
PPP announced its intention on Monday before discussing it
\nwith Wahono. Golkar made a similar announcement last month only
\nto be admonished by Wahono because the proposal should have been
\ndiscussed with the House leaders before being made public.<\/p>\n
Wahono sat on Golkar's letter for two weeks before deciding to
\npass it on to Soeharto, with some additional notes.<\/p>\n
A report by the Kompas daily newspaper yesterday suggested
\nthat President Soeharto, in his capacity as chief patron of
\nGolkar, have approved the plan to fire Bambang.<\/p>\n
Buya yesterday denied accusations that PPP was firing Bintang
\nbecause of pressures from the government.<\/p>\n
He said the major consideration in firing Bintang was his
\npersistent questioning of Pancasila in various forums.<\/p>\n
He cited the example of Bintang, at a seminar, asking \"whether
\nPancasila could increase the salary of teachers.\"<\/p>\n
Buya confirmed that Coordinating Minister of Political and
\nSecurity Affairs Soesilo Soedarman had earlier sent a letter to
\nthe PPP leadership making an inquiry about Bintang's behavior.<\/p>\n
The letter strengthened PPP's decision to fire Bintang, but it
\nwas not a determining factor, he said.<\/p>\n
Buya also denied that Bintang's dismissal was connected to the
\nheated argument the legislator had with Minister of Finance
\nMar'ie Muhammad during a DPR hearing last month.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, Mar'ie took particular offense at
\nBintang's accusation that he had threatened the press. Bintang
\npersisted with his accusation, and the incident was duly reported
\nto Ismail Hasan.<\/p>\n
Buya yesterday said that the incident had to do with ethics,
\nbut that they also had other reasons for firing Bintang.<\/p>\n
Asked if he plans to summon Bintang, Buya responded: \"What's
\nthe use?\" He said Bintang had already been warned on a number of
\noccasions in the past about his behavior.<\/p>\n
Bintang, who was awarded a House seat after helping PPP in the
\n1992 election campaign, has accused the party's leaders of
\nsuccumbing to government pressures to have him fired.<\/p>\n
He said he was ready to quit the party in any case because he
\ndid not see PPP as an independent party. (29)<\/p>",
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