UI students call for MPR special session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A group of University of Indonesia postgraduate
\nstudents called on the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to
\nconvene a special meeting to revoke its recent decree which
\ngrants President Soeharto extra powers.<\/p>\n
\"We want the MPR to immediately take the initiative and hold
\nan extraordinary session of the Assembly in response to widely
\nsupported calls for reforms,\" the group said in a declaration
\nread out by Moeroe Supranoto.<\/p>\n
Calling themselves the Forum Wacana UI (University of
\nIndonesia Discourse Forum), the group held a discussion on the
\npresent economic, social and political situation before issuing
\nthe declaration.<\/p>\n
The MPR must not only call an extraordinary session but also
\nrevoke its March 1998 decree which granted the President power to
\ntake preemptive measures to ensure that development programs
\ncontinue, the students said.<\/p>\n
Observers expressed fear over the possibility of abuse of
\nthese extra powers, something which legislators and politicians
\nfrom the ruling Golkar faction denied was possible. They based
\ntheir argument on the fact that such extra powers had been held
\nby the President in the past but were never put to use.<\/p>\n
\"The session must also revoke decrees which restrict the
\nlegislators' freedom to voice and channel the people's
\naspirations,\" it added.<\/p>\n
The group also called on the government to immediately bring
\nthe soaring prices of basic commodities under control.<\/p>\n
\"We want the government to bring prices down to the levels
\nthey were at before the crisis broke last July,\" it said.<\/p>\n
The Forum Wacana, which was established yesterday, said they
\ncompletely supported undergraduate calls for sweeping reform.<\/p>\n
They also called on the Armed Forces (ABRI) to prove that it
\nwas neutral and that its loyalties lay with the people.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI leaders have repeatedly said that what's best for the
\npeople would also be best for ABRI,\" they pointed out.
\n\"Therefore, ABRI members should join hands with other elements in
\nsociety and help turn the calls for reform into a reality.\"<\/p>\n
Present at the discussion were Deputy House Speaker from the
\nGolkar faction Abdul Gafur, and Abu Hasan Sazili, Slamet Effendy
\nYusuf and Syamsul Mu'arif, who are all Golkar legislators.<\/p>\n
Also in attendance were former Armed Forces chief of
\nsociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo,
\nformer Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, soothsayer Permadi Satrio
\nWiwoho and human rights activist Eggi Sudjana.<\/p>\n
Abdul Gafur said there was no strong grounds on which to
\njustify convening a special session of the MPR.<\/p>\n
\"The situation is not as bad as the students described,\" he
\ntold the media after the discussion.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, the government is already putting its best efforts
\ninto bringing the country out of the crisis,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He dismissed allegations that the government had violated the
\nprinciples of the Pancasila state ideology and the 1945
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
Constitutionally, an extraordinary session of the Assembly
\ncould be held at the request of the President or the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR).<\/p>\n
The House might have grounds to request a session if it
\nconsidered the President had violated Pancasila and the 1945
\nConstitution. The President could convene the Assembly if he
\nthought the House was restricting his policies unfairly. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ui-students-call-for-mpr-special-session-1447893297",
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