PPP takes MPR to brink of vote<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) legislators, in a
\nshow of stubborn politicking, have forced the other four factions
\nin the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to the brink of a
\nvote following a hotly contested debate on the Armed Forces role
\nin politics.<\/p>\n
The minority party scored a significant political gain in the
\nearly hours of Friday by forcing the dominant Golkar and Armed
\nForces factions -- bolstered by the regional representatives and
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions -- to consider
\nmorning whether to take a vote on whether they were going to vote
\non the contentious issue. As of 1 a.m. on Friday morning, the
\nCommission had yet to take a stance.<\/p>\n
Voting is virtually taboo in Indonesian politics and was
\nunheard of during Soeharto's 32-year regime.<\/p>\n
PPP members sitting on Assembly Commission A had from the
\nbeginning fought against a stipulation in the draft decree on
\ngeneral elections that would give the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nunelected seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) and
\nregional legislatures.<\/p>\n
The morning session of the Commission went as widely
\npredicted, with the PPP arguing against a military presence in
\nthe legislatures. During the evening session, the often heated
\ndebate came to a head with the PPP demanding that a vote be taken
\non the issue by the 195-member commission.<\/p>\n
The dominant Golkar faction then countered by insisting that
\nthe vote should take the form of an open body count. The PPP dug
\nin deeper and demanded a secret ballot.<\/p>\n
On the question of the military presence in the House of
\nRepresentatives itself, Golkar was supported by the factions from
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), the Armed Forces (ABRI)
\nand the regional representatives.<\/p>\n
Outside the Assembly building, a massive military cordon was
\nreinforced following clashes between security personnel and
\nstudents intent on marching to the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Meeting of the five commissions were disrupted at around 8:15
\np.m. on Thursday when word circulated that the DPR\/MPR building
\nwas to be evacuated. Outside the building, tension rose as tens
\nof thousands of students clashed with security personnel blocking
\ntheir route to the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Members of the Golkar faction actually left the compound, but
\nthey returned to the discussion tables later in the evening.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Commission B closed the day's deliberations in
\nbroad agreement that a stipulation requiring a referendum before
\namending the Constitution should be scrapped.<\/p>\n
The PPP and the dominant Golkar were the most outspoken in
\ntheir intention to introduce changes in the Constitution on, for
\ninstance, the president's status as the Armed Forces supreme
\ncommander.<\/p>\n
Commission D, set up to deliberate on political economy and
\nCommission E which is discussing establishment of a decree to
\nprotect human rights also concluded the day's business in
\nagreement. Discussion of the draft decree on regional autonomy
\nalso proceeded smoothly.<\/p>\n
A commission member who refused to be named commended the
\n"good will of the decree", but said "there was still vested
\ninterests, emotion, and ignorance" among the legislators assigned
\nto deal with it.<\/p>\n
Factions in Commission C could not agree whether the Assembly
\nshould issue a separate draft decree ordering an investigation of
\nformer president Soeharto. They eventually decided to continue
\ndeliberating this question on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The commission's business was held up by the PPP, who insisted
\nthat a separate decree was necessary to drive the investigation
\ninto Soeharto. The other factions, particularly Golkar and the
\nArmed Forces, insisted the existing decree on clean governance
\ngave sufficient clout to government efforts to investigate
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
"There is no need to name anyone," Fachry Ali, a researcher
\nand Golkar faction member said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Amien Rais said on Thursday evening that he and
\nthe other three reform leaders -- Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X -- were arranging a
\nmeeting with the MPR leadership in order to deliver their recent
\ndeclaration on the military's political role and on President
\nB.J. Habibie's administration in person.<\/p>\n
"The four of us plan to submit our good will to the Assembly,"
\nhe said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Amien, who is acting as the group's spokesman, said he was
\nconfident that the Assembly would accept their input because
\n"there are some members who are rational and progressive."<\/p>\n
He named Golkar legislator Marzuki Darusman, Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono of the Armed Forces and Faisal Baasir of PPP as being
\namong these progressive individuals.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the massive and prolonged student
\ndemonstrations here on Thursday, Amien expressed suspicion that
\n"certain parties are seeking to seize power by keeping conflicts
\nalive and causing chaos."<\/p>\n
"I strongly suspect this, but I don't want to name names," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said he could not understand why armed volunteer security
\nguards were still roaming the streets on Thursday after having
\nsupposedly been disbanded by the police. "They have proven to be
\nthe source of chaos and physical conflict among the children of
\nthis nation."<\/p>\n
"I condemn the use of religious symbols in demonstrations.
\nThey have to be condemned by us all," he said, adding that the
\n"parties who deserve greater condemnation are those who engineer
\n(the chaos and use of religious symbols) ... don't let us be
\ntrapped into this destructive 'destroy all' politics."<\/p>\n
He also urged that a campaign against corruption, collusion
\nand nepotism should begin in the top layer of society. "Just like
\ncleaning up the house, you start from the top and work down," he
\nsaid. (team)<\/p>",
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