ABRI representatives in the legislature

ABRI representatives in the legislature

Through its chief of social-political affairs, Maj. Gen.
Mohammad Ma'ruf, the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) has shown its
capability in reading the signs of the times and at the same time
proven its chivalrous spirit. Only two days after President
Soeharto instructed the Indonesian Institute of Sciences to
examine the general election system and the social-political role
of ABRI -- particularly the question of the number of ABRI
members in the House of Representatives (DPR) -- Maj. Gen. Ma'ruf
explained that ABRI was ready to reduce the number of its
representatives in the DPR in case the Indonesian Institute of
Sciences (LIPI) should recommend it.

The short time span between the issuance of the President's
instruction and the ABRI statement of readiness shows that the
possibility of a reduction of military representatives in the DPR
has been discussed before in ABRI circles. This possibility is
all the more conceivable considering the fact that the officer
who made the announcement was initiated only a week ago. The
number of ABRI representatives in the DPR, in accordance with Law
No. 22 of 1985, totals 20 percent of the total of 500, which is
100. Since the two minority political parties participating in
the general elections have even fewer representatives, that
number is considered too large.

We agree with those who believe that even if the number of
Armed Forces representatives were to be reduced, the fact would
not lessen the significance of ABRI's dual function. The
President himself has emphasized that the LIPI evaluation will
not touch on this question.

LIPI chairman Sofyan Tsauri has promised to regularly make
public the findings of evaluation teams through the press. This
is a laudable intention on the part of the LIPI chairman. Regular
publication will broaden the discussion and the matter would thus
be made a public debate, which is as it should be, being a matter
of such importance to the nation.

-- Republika, Jakarta