ABRI prepares to secure MPR plenary meeting

ABRI prepares to secure MPR plenary meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Commanders and top officials of the Armed Forces
(ABRI) will meet next month in Jakarta to map out a contingency
plan against disturbances during March's plenary meeting of the
People's Consultative Assembly.

Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung said yesterday that
the meeting will focus on preparing a plan aimed at cracking down
on any possible security disturbances during the meeting which
will see the assembly elect the president and vice president.

"I will particularly ask for a report from the Jakarta
Military Command on its physical readiness in the field, then on
the stance of the ABRI faction in the People's Consultative
Assembly," Feisal said after meeting with President Soeharto at
his residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

The 1,000-strong assembly in March will elect a new president
and vice president and endorse the State Policy Guidelines.

When pressed by journalists to elaborate on the possible
threats to the assembly, Feisal said: "We will crack down on any
anti-government movements."

The Armed Forces leadership meeting will be held here from
Feb. 10 to Feb. 12.

During yesterday's meeting Feisal assured Soeharto that
political stability was fully under control despite the
economic crisis. He added that the Armed Forces would do its best
to ensure order and security.

andidate

With many believing that Soeharto, 76, will be reelected for
his seventh consecutive term, people's attention has become more
focused on the vice presidency.

The Armed Forces leadership meeting next month is also
expected to discuss vice presidential candidates as six of the 13
registered candidates in the Assembly have military backgrounds.

The six include: Vice President Try Sutrisno, Minister of
Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat, Minister of Information R.
Hartono, State Minister of National Development Planning
Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto and
Feisal Tanjung himself.

So far the Armed Forces faction has kept a tight lid on their
nomination for the vice presidency.

The Armed Forces' decision will be influential in determining
the final choice.

In February 1993, ABRI's faction chairman Lt. Gen. Harsudiyono
Hartas officially nominated its then commander Gen. Try Sutrisno
without proper consultation with Soeharto.

When asked yesterday about who the Armed Forces would support
this time, Feisal brushed the question aside.

"That's a question for later. We'll let you know when the time
is right," he said.

Separately the Golkar chairman, Harmoko, said yesterday
evening that the organization would eventually issue just one
candidate for the vice presidency.

"We will only issue our vice presidential candidate through
Golkar faction in the general meeting of the People's
Consultative Assembly next March," Harmoko told reporters after a
breaking-of-the-fast gathering, held at the Golkar secretariat in
Slipi, West Jakarta.

He said that the candidate would likely be the same as the one
issued by the Armed Forces faction.

Asked whether the candidate was a civilian or a military
member, Harmoko said the most important thing was that the
candidate was credible, capable, acceptable to all elements in
society and able to cooperate with the elected president.
(prb/imn)