Authorities prepare detailed contingency plan

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)