Scholars, parties raise last-minute issues<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Scholars and party leaders on Monday raised last
\nminute demands which they called on to be included in the agenda
\nfor the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR), which begins here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Sixteen lecturers grouped in the All-Indonesia Communication
\nForum of Lecturers (Fajar) told the regional representatives
\nfaction that they would call for a "national strike" if the
\nsession failed to heed the people's aspirations.<\/p>\n
It was the second call for a national strike following a
\nsimilar one made at a seminar on Friday. The seminar included
\nalumni, students and retired generals belonging to the National
\nFront opposition group. Dadan U.D. from Trisakti University said
\nMonday the call for a strike "concerns morality."<\/p>\n
"Members of the House of Representatives have a moral
\nobligation to avoid more casualties in the drive for reform. They
\nshould remember the students who were shot dead in May," Dadan
\nsaid, adding: "If more people die in violent clashes it will be
\nbecause of their unwillingness to take heed of people's wishes."<\/p>\n
Many have opposed some draft decrees prepared for the session,
\nsuch as the decree on elections, which guarantees the Armed
\nForces (ABRI) seats in the country's two legislative bodies.<\/p>\n
Dadan blamed the death of four shot students at a peaceful
\nrally on May 12 on the March General Session's failure to heed
\npeople's aspirations." The Assembly reinstalled Soeharto as
\npresident for a seventh consecutive term, despite widespread
\nopposition voiced mainly by students.<\/p>\n
The lecturers also urged the session to call Soeharto to
\naccount for his time in office between March 11, when he was
\nreappointed, up to his resignation. A draft decree on the subject
\nwas put forward by the United Development Party faction (PPP),
\nthe government-sanctioned faction of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) and the regional representatives, but the Golkar and
\nmilitary factions rejected it.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted Yusuf Kalla of the regional representatives as
\nsaying that his faction would try to respond to public demands
\nand insert provisions for Soeharto's accountability into other
\ndraft decrees, for example the decree on clean governance.<\/p>\n
Lecturers from the University of Indonesia urged separately
\nthat all House members should be elected and not appointed
\ndirectly or provided with allotted seats, as in the case of the
\nmilitary faction.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Amien Rais, the chairman of the National Mandate
\nParty, said the session must ensure that "all decisions are
\nbeneficial to the public," adding that legislators should not
\nseek merely to perpetuate the status quo. He warned the
\nAssembly's 1,000 members not to abuse the chance the public has
\ngiven them to set the country to rights.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the National Labor Party Tohap Simanungkalit, who
\nis also an Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) executive,
\nsaid the session was a "maximum compromise" to the "remainder of
\nthe old regime." If the session failed to break the status quo,
\nhe said, "the resulting people's power movement will far surpass
\nthe one which led to Soeharto's resignation."<\/p>\n
One legislator lauded for his response to the public's
\naspirations was Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X,
\nwho on Saturday made an impromptu visit to a student camp set up
\nas a forum to watch over the session. He listened to the students
\nwishes before leaving for Jakarta. (anr\/23)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/scholars-parties-raise-last-minute-issues-1447893297",
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