Speaker swears in 91 new MPR members<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Harmoko installed 91 new members
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Wednesday,
\ndismissing speculation that political engineering was behind the
\nmove.<\/p>\n
Of the 91 new members, 24 Golkar and Armed Forces
\nrepresentatives entered the Assembly by virtue of becoming new
\nlegislators in the House of Representatives (DPR). The remaining
\n67 new MPR members consisted of 37 Golkar appointees, with the
\nbalance from the United Development Party (PPP), Armed Forces
\n(ABRI) and Regional Representatives factions.<\/p>\n
Harmoko denied the MPR's leadership appointed the replacements
\nto pack the Assembly with members sympathetic to President B.J.
\nHabibie's reelection bid for the 1999\/2004 term.<\/p>\n
\"How can (the MPR leadership) engineer it (the presidential
\nelection) since I no longer have position in the (Golkar) central
\nboard?\" said Harmoko, who was formerly Golkar's chairman.<\/p>\n
\"The replacement of DPR and MPR members is (regulated) by the
\nlegislative bodies' internal rules. The central board (of the
\nfactions) are independent in their decisions about the
\nreplacements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the move was not a political ploy by the DPR and MPR
\nleadership because the bodies' three political groupings -- PPP,
\nGolkar and PDI -- had the authority to withdraw and replace any
\nof their members.<\/p>\n
According to Antara, speculation of political engineering grew
\nafter former Golkar leader Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said recently
\nthat the Golkar replacements were installed to ensure that
\nHabibie stay in power.<\/p>\n
Sarwono was among a number of former ministers and members of
\nthe current Reform Cabinet withdrawn from the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The others included former manpower minister Abdul Latief,
\nformer minister of food Ibrahim Hasan, former minister of social
\nservices Inten Suweno, former minister for women's roles Mien
\nSugandhi, former minister of education and culture Wardiman
\nDjojonegoro, former minister of health Sujudi, former minister of
\nagrarian affairs Soni Harsono, former minister of transmigration
\nSiswono Yudhohusodo, former minister of transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto and former minister of public works Radinal Moochtar.<\/p>\n
Minister of Trade and Industry Rahardi Ramelan and Minister of
\nEmpowerment of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng were also included
\nin the 37 Golkar representatives dismissed from the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Among the Golkar replacements were Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung and former minister
\nof manpower Cosmas Batubara.<\/p>\n
Speculation has also grown that the new Assembly members from
\nthe Golkar faction were recruited from party cadres loyal to
\ncurrent Golkar chairman, Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
Assembly chief spokesman Yana Indrawan said five of the new
\nMPR members failed to attend the installation ceremony and would
\nbe sworn in in the near future.<\/p>\n
The five were Lambert Silooy and Maj. Gen. Johny Lumintang
\n(both from ABRI), chief of the Armed Forces's Command School
\nLeonard Tomasoa (from Golkar), Nathanael Antonius Maidepa (from
\nGolkar) and Bomer Pasaribu (regional representatives faction).<\/p>\n
Yana said Lambert did not explain why he could not attend,
\nwhile Lumintang was still in Australia.<\/p>\n
Lambert replaced Rear Admiral Suratmin, while Lumintang
\nreplaced his predecessor Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto.<\/p>\n
In his speech on Wednesday, Harmoko called on the public and
\nthe legislative bodies to work together to move the country's
\npolitical agenda forward and make the coming special session of
\nthe MPR a success.<\/p>\n
He said the Working Committee of the Assembly had worked hard
\nto prepare 12 draft decrees to be discussed in the special
\nsession slated for Nov. 10 through Nov. 13.<\/p>\n
One of the draft decrees stipulates that the next general
\nelection be moved up from 2002 to next May or June, he added.<\/p>\n
He also said the House was discussing political draft laws
\nexpected to change the face of the country's political and
\neconomic life.<\/p>\n
\"All this proves the legislative bodies are committed to
\nreform which the majority of Indonesians has been demanding,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Harmoko said the group of new replacements were the fifth in a
\nseries of replacements made by the House and the Assembly \"in the
\nreform era\" since former president Soeharto resigned on May 21.<\/p>\n
Groups of replacements were previously installed on July 1,
\nJuly 8, July 24 and Aug. 23.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PPP said it has withdrawn nine of its members from
\ntwo regional legislative councils in West Java for various
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
Maksum Zaelani, chairman of the PPP faction in the West Java
\nprovincial legislative council, said in Bandung on Wednesday that
\nhis party recalled three members from the Ciamis regional
\nlegislative council last June and six from the Bandung regional
\nlegislative council recently.<\/p>\n
He said the three were dismissed because they signed certain
\nletters they had no authority to put their name on. The letter
\nreportedly contained a proposal for candidates for Ciamis regent.<\/p>\n
The six members of the Bandung regional legislative council
\nwere recalled because they were involved in \"political scandals\"
\nin a Bandung election this year. (rms)<\/p>",
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