Amien calls for peaceful session

Amien calls for peaceful session

JAKARTA (JP): On the eve of the resumption of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), Amien Rais, the speaker of the
highest law-making body, appealed to party leaders to cooperate
for the sake of a smooth session.

Amien said on Wednesday the party leaders could sit down
together and talk about crucial matters, including a power-
sharing arrangement, in a bid to ease tension among them.

"I suspect there has been mutual distrust among political
parties in the Assembly since communication among them fails in
spite of their good intentions," Amien told reporters.

"It would be nice if Mbak Megawati, Akbar Tandjung, Gus Dur,
myself, Yusril, Nur Mahmudi, Hamzah Haz, Edi Sudrajat and
Wiranto, or his representatives, could all sit down together and
talk heart-to-heart about finding the best solutions for the
problems the nation is now facing," Amien said, referring to a
previous meeting between Indonesian Military chief Gen. Wiranto
and leaders of major parties prior to the MPR session late last
month.

"That would be so much better than mobilizing people or
threatening supporters of other parties," said Amien.

He said the talks would help the Assembly reach the assurance
that the upcoming sessions could run untroubled.

"The preliminary talks do not necessarily mean backroom
politics, because the party leaders do not have anything to
conceal," he said.

Amien also said that as the Assembly's speaker, he hoped the
General Session would run smoothly. "Only then can we forget the
past and look to the future," he said.

Amien appealed to all supporters of political parties to
exercise restraint. He pointed out the fact that mass
concentrations of party supporters were found around Jakarta.

"There will be thousands of people mobilized by each party
close to the presidential election and this could cause bloody
conflicts on the streets," said Amien.

"When will the nation start to solve its problems using its
mind rather than its muscle?," asked Amien.

Amien also deplored a certain party which threatened to wage a
revolution if its candidate lost the race for presidency.

"It is a great danger, because everybody can make the same
threat," he said. "Our people have suffered for a long time. If
everybody is talking about revolution, then we all will suffer
great losses." (05)