ABRI bill before house

ABRI bill before house

JAKARTA (JP): Just two months after the idea was broached by
President Soeharto, the government has submitted a bill to the
House of Representatives proposing to reduce the number of
military seats in the House.

Disclosing the government proposal in a new working session of
the House (DPR) yesterday, Speaker Wahono promised to give the
bill a speedy reading in order to resolve the matter swiftly.

He added that the House's meeting schedule would be adjusted
accordingly.

Welcoming the initiative, Wahono stressed that democracy does
not solely depend on the formal political order and structure,
but more on the spirit and wishes of the people.

"Democracy progresses in accordance with changes in society's
values which in turn will evolve into a political culture that is
both democratic and Pancasila," he said referring to the state
ideology. "With this in mind, we welcome the initiative to cut
the size of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the House from 100
to 75."

Soeharto in March ordered the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) to look for ways to improve the electoral system,
including the military's political role.

The Armed Forces has already announced that it is prepared to
see its representation in the House slashed by the next general
elections in 1997. It was the Armed Forces who suggested the cut
from 100 to 75.

The government bill proposes reviewing article 10 of the 1985
Law on the Structures and Composition of the House of
Representatives. The clause states that 400 of the House's seats
should be contested at the general elections between the three
political groups and the other 100 be allocated to the Armed
Forces, whose members do not vote.

Wahono said the House supports the new bill not because it
considers ABRI's representation in the House or other state
institutions to be undemocratic or because of foreign pressures.

"Some foreign parties might view the military as an
undemocratic force, but for Indonesia, the Armed Forces has
proven itself as a dynamizer, inspirer, and motivator for the
growth and development of Pancasila Democracy.

"I think the question of whether or not it is democratic for
someone from the Armed Forces to serve in the House of
Representatives or other state institutions is irrelevant."

"Democracy is not determined by the uniform or rank a person
wears. There is ample evidence to show that some ABRI members are
more democratic than non-military people."

Wahono also appealed to the public at large not to encourage
the development of a polemic pitting the Armed Forces against
civilians. "We'd like to remind you once again that this would be
very dangerous to the unity and cohesion of the nation."
(emb/rid)