Authorities prepare detailed contingency plan

JAKARTA (JP): The city police and military have reportedly prepared a contingency plan should security conditions take a turn for the worse prior to or during the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Speaking after a meeting with Assembly leaders on Monday, Governor Sutiyoso said the police and military were ready to evacuate all legislators to an "undisclosed location" should the security of the MPR/DPR building be badly breached during the special session.

"City authorities, including the police and the military, have devised a detailed plan to allow the People's Consultative Assembly to hold the special session under any possible situation," Sutiyoso said after the meeting.

Also on hand at the meeting was city police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacob and Assembly Speaker Amien Rais.

Sutiyoso said that the contingency plan included preparations by security authorities on the possibility that the special session is held on July 20, at which date President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has been rumored to issue a decree to dissolve the legislature.

"It is not a serious problem for us if the session is held ahead of time," he said.

The Assembly is slated to convene a special session on August 1, which will likely lead to the impeachment of the President.

Sutiyoso added that the city administration would also deploy thousands of security guards to reinforce the authorities.

Tens of thousands of supporters of the President from Central and East Java are expected to pour into the capital ahead of the special session.

Sutiyoso said that the governors of provinces in Java, Bali and South Sumatra were working together to limit the flow of people from the provinces into Jakarta in the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Sofjan said the police would deploy more than 5,600 personnel, including those from the military, to maintain security and order during the special session, around the area of the MPR/DPR building.

"The number of personnel will be doubled to 10,000 if the situation escalates and we will fight all out in the worst situation," he said.

He warned that the two recent bombings under the Slipi and Mampang flyovers were acts of terror that were launched by certain sides in an attempt to create a chaotic situation on the eve of the special session.

Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo said the military was ready to back up the police to maintain security and order whenever the special session was held.

"The Jakarta Military, with reinforcements from the Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) and the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), will back up the police to secure Jakarta during the special session," he said.

Concluding the statements from the police and military chiefs, Amien Rais noted that the Assembly was confident that the police, together with the full support of the military, would be able to carry out their mission so that the special session would go smoothly.

Also on Monday, the National Police Headquarters convened a security operations meeting, involving the provincial police chiefs across the country and legislators from the Indonesian Military/Police faction at the House of Representatives.

Thirty minutes before the meeting, National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail met with outgoing National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro at the latter's home on Jl. Pattimura in South Jakarta.

Both generals reportedly discussed security matters that should be elaborated on at the security operations meeting.

After their meeting at Bimantoro's residence, the top two policemen went to the National Police Headquarters. Bimantoro opened the operations meeting, and Chaerudin led the meeting.

Following the drawn out tension between both generals over dual leadership issues, Bimantoro and Chaeruddin seemed to be completely at ease with each other on Monday and were on friendly terms.

"We will not hesitate to take the strictest action against anarchists, prior to or during the special session, particularly those who try to disrupt the special session. We will have no tolerance for them," Chaeruddin said following the meeting.

"The possible issuance of a decree on July 20 to dissolve the legislature, the special session and other national agendas, these matters are not our main priority. Our main priority is public security, which the police plans to uphold at all costs." (rms/ylt)