Crash courses not compulsory, says Harmoko

JAKARTA (JP): Crash courses for future House of Representatives members are not mandatory, the state minister of special assignments, Harmoko, said yesterday.

Prospective House members who do not attend the courses will not face punitive action, said Harmoko, who is preparing the courses in conjunction with the Pancasila Propagation Agency (BP7).

"The crash course is voluntary," he said. "The legislators' absence will not affect their membership in the House.

"I will attend the course as a participant," Harmoko, the chairman of the ruling Golkar party, told reporters.

The three parties -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- are free to decide whether their representatives will take part or not, he said.

According to the schedule released by the General Elections Institute, the President will validate the House memberships next month.

President Soeharto is scheduled to open the crash course for the new 500 House members on Aug. 9 at the State Palace. The President will also lecture the legislators on state affairs.

Golkar, winner of the May 29 election, grabbed 325 seats in the House, the United Development Party 89 and the Indonesian Democratic Party 11. The Armed Forces, whose members do not vote, have 75 reserved seats.

The course will be held at the Bogor presidential palace in West Java. The future legislators will be divided into five groups of 100.

The first group will attend the six-day course from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15. The second will start on Aug. 19, and the final groups will begin in the following weeks.

Harmoko, who has been tipped as the strongest candidate for the House speaker post, topped the list of Golkar legislative candidates from West Java.

Harmoko said the courses would not be political indoctrinations for the new House members. He said the participants would have the opportunity to exchange ideas. (imn)