ABRI ready to discuss its dual function

JAKARTA (JP): Amid mounting pressure on the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to expel the military from the country's formal political arena, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Monday the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction was ready to discuss the demands at the MPR Special Session.

"Please raise various demands but we will study the reality," he said, as quoted by Antara, after a last-minute preparatory meeting of the Armed Forces faction.

Wiranto conceded that people liked to comment about the Armed Forces but he questioned whether those comments were logical and plausible and in the best interests of the nation.

"What's most important is that the nation is safe," he said.

Asked whether the concession to discuss its political future meant the Armed Forces was now ready to give up its dual-function doctrine -- which enables it to play roles in both politics and security -- Wiranto said: "I do not want to debate it in the newspapers." He said people should now cease talking about the dual function and, instead, pay attention to what was in the nation's best interests.

Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, chairman of the ABRI Assembly faction, said demands to limit the military's representation in legislative bodies would be broadly discussed at the Special Session.

"Truly, ABRI will deliver its political stance and position on how the dual function should be redefined and repositioned at present and in the future," he said as quoted by Antara.

He also said that ABRI had listened to many groups who wanted the dual function phased out. "But, on important and basic issues, we cannot make hasty conclusions. It is a transition period and reform should be carried out gradually because it needs a national consensus. ABRI wants the dual-role issue to be deliberated peacefully and broadly."

He said that his faction would also take into account other factions' stance on the dual function.

In the House of Representatives, the Armed Forces is allocated 75 of the 500 seats, while in the People's Consultative Assembly, the military has 113 of the 1,000 seats.

Of the five MPR factions, only the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) has fought openly to end the military's representation in the country's legislatures.

The dominant Golkar faction has thus far been the staunchest supporter of ABRI's continued presence in the bodies. The minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) has so far gone along with Golkar.

A change in the stance was clearly seen on Sunday when Marzuki Darusman, chairman of Golkar's MPR faction, said his group wanted ABRI's sociopolitical role to be limited and the MPR decree on clean governance amended to accommodate the demands for the trial of former president Soeharto and the investigation of his fortune and that of his family and cronies.

Test case

Political observer Arbi Sanit from the University of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post that the Special Session would be a test case to see whether the ruling Golkar group was committed to reform or maintaining the status quo.

"If the major Golkar faction in the MPR fails to show its commitment to reform, as the majority of people have demanded, and prefers to maintain the status quo, it will have committed double sins," he said.

"The session will be the last chance for Golkar to show it really repents of its past mistakes," he said. "Otherwise, it will lose its supporters' confidence."

He said that Golkar and its factions in the legislative bodies had been divided into the dominant pro-status quo camp and the smaller pro-reform group.

"But, the pro-status quo camp represented by House Speaker Harmoko, has apparently softened its political stance. This is clear from when Harmoko said that discussions by the Ad Hoc Committee on crucial issues had yet to be (considered) final," he said. Arbi added that Golkar had no choice but to change its political stance to win the people's support.

"Golkar, for example, should support demands for an end to ABRI's dual function and the trial of Soeharto and investigation of his wealth and that of his family and cronies," he said.

Political expert Ichlasul Amal of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, said the Special Session should set the date and ensure that the general election will be held on time.

"The MPR, whose legitimacy has been questioned since Soeharto stepped down in May, should not be overburdened with many insubstantial materials. Its prime task in the session is to set the date for the general election," he said Monday in Yogyakarta. Ichlasul differed from Arbi in that he supported the presence of the military in legislative bodies.

"If ABRI were no longer represented in the legislative bodies they would go wild," he said, adding that ABRI, for the time being, should therefore be represented, although in smaller numbers, in the legislative bodies. (23/rms)