Time frame for MPR session 'proposed by House leaders'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie claimed yesterday it was
\nthe leaders of the House of Representatives (DPR) who proposed
\nthe time frame for the extraordinary session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) which will set the date for a general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said that Habibie,
\ntold leaders of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and
\nthe Bishops' Council of Indonesia (KWI) in a meeting that he
\nmerely agreed with the House leaders.<\/p>\n
\"The president said that the schedule for the session to
\nreview laws which would lead up to the election, is based
\nentirely on the proposal of the House leaders.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore the government took the decision constitutionally
\nand it is in line with the proposals of the House leaders,\" Akbar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
After meeting with Habibie on Thursday, House speaker Harmoko
\nannounced that an extraordinary session of the Assembly would be
\nheld at the end of this year or early next year.<\/p>\n
The following day Habibie disclosed that fresh polls would be
\nheld sometime next year.<\/p>\n
Opposition groups and students denounced the decision, saying
\nthe government was buying time to consolidate its power. Since
\nSoeharto's resignation on May 21, many have clamored for an
\nelection which would eventually lead to the next president being
\nchosen democratically.<\/p>\n
PGI chairman Sularso Sopater joined the chorus for prompt
\nelections. He urged the president not to lose the momentum of
\nreform and help restore confidence.<\/p>\n
\"We commented about the schedule, asking whether it was not
\ntoo long,\" Sularso told journalists, adding that many in his
\ncongregation felt the same way.<\/p>\n
The four-man PGI delegation included Sularso and secretary-
\ngeneral J.M. Pattiasina, while the five-member KWI delegation was
\nled by its chairman Bishop Jos Suwatan and secretary-general
\nHadiwikarta.<\/p>\n
Suwatan said the delegation could not fully elaborate on many
\nof their comments to the president since he dominated much of the
\nconversation.<\/p>\n
Former House speaker Wahono yesterday brushed aside Habibie's
\nlegitimacy as president, saying he lacked a mandate from the
\nAssembly.<\/p>\n
Mandate<\/p>\n
\"Habibie is a president without an MPR mandate because the
\nmandate is still with Soeharto,\" he told reporters after
\nattending a commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the state
\nideology Pancasila at the Pancasila building on Jl. Pejambon in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"There should be an extraordinary session of the Assembly to
\ntake back the people's mandate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
After a meeting with Habibie yesterday, the head of the State
\nIntelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin), Moetoyib, reiterated the
\nnecessity to reform the Assembly as many of its members had
\nresigned.<\/p>\n
But the retired three-star general however did not elaborate
\non ways to reform the assembly.<\/p>\n
A slew of Assembly members have resigned their seats in a
\nsympathetic gesture to the reform movement and its call to
\neradicate collusion, corruption and nepotism.<\/p>\n
During Habibie's meeting with the Christian leaders, he was
\nalso urged to conduct a comprehensive and transparent
\ninvestigation into the shooting dead of four Trisakti University
\nstudents on May 12.<\/p>\n
Bishop Suwatan also urged the President to include other fatal
\nincidents which involved security personnel within the
\ninvestigators' remit.<\/p>\n
\"The mastermind of the rioting and looting in the last few
\nweeks and the kidnapping of activists should also be probed and
\ndealt with firmly and transparently,\" the bishop said.<\/p>\n
Then, in an unexpected move, Suwatan forwarded to Habibie a
\nlist of the victims of the riots in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The list, prepared in a report by the Volunteers for Humanity
\nchaired by Father Sandyawan, put the death toll during the riots
\nat more than twice the 500-odd cited by the government.<\/p>\n
According to the list, dated May 28, the three days of riots
\nclaimed at least 1,215 lives -- 23 shot dead and 1,192 burnt
\nalive in fires.<\/p>\n
\"Thirty-six people are still missing after the rioting,\" said
\nthe report. (prb\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/time-frame-for-mpr-session-proposed-by-house-leaders-1447893297",
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