Debate rages over military in DPR

Debate rages over military in DPR

JAKARTA (JP): Political expert Arbi Sanit says the Armed
Forces (ABRI) should no longer be represented in the House of
Representatives, but Golkar legislator Abu Hasan Sazili campaigns
for the military's presence to be retained for "the sake of the
nation."

Sazili said on Friday that if ABRI had to go, it must be done
gradually. Arbi, however, insisted that "50 years is enough".

Both were commenting on a draft decree on general elections
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is expected to adopt
during its Nov. 10 to Nov. 13 Special Session.

Besides resetting the date of the poll -- from 2003 to May or
June 1999 -- the draft decree also seeks to maintain ABRI's
presence in the House.

It is one of 12 MPR draft decrees planned to be passed in the
Special Session. Another draft has also been prepared on the
session's schedule.

The small Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) was the
only faction campaigning for the dismissal of ABRI from the House
earlier when the Assembly's Working Committee (BP MPR) were
preparing for the upcoming Special Session.

But PPP lost votes to Golkar, ABRI, Regional Representatives
and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions.

The PPP, however, has vowed to fight for the cause in the
Special Session.

On seat allotment for ABRI in the House, Article I (6) of the
draft on general elections stipulates: "Members of the Republic
of Indonesia's DPR and provincial legislature (DPRD) comprise
members of contesting political parties who are elected in the
poll and ABRI soldiers who are appointed."

The decree also says that as a socio-political force, ABRI
acts as stabilizer and a force that lends dynamics to the
Pancasila democracy. It says ABRI members do not vote in the
elections and that its members in the DPR/MPR is through
appointments.

Sazili argued the stipulation was not a "fait accompli" on the
House -- currently deliberating three political bills including
on elections and MPR/DPR/DPRD structure and position -- to accept
ABRI's presence.

If passed, the MPR decree will be more superior in status than
the political bills discussed by the House.

"We can still negotiate the number (of allocated seats for
ABRI members), can't we? The stipulation does not fix a certain
number," said Sazili, who heads the DPR's 87-legislator strong
special committee assigned to deliberate the bills.

The bill on MPR/DPR/DPRD structure and position says ABRI will
be allocated 55 seats in the new 550-member House, or the 700-
member MPR. The Assembly will comprise of DPR members, plus 81
regional representatives and 69 professional groups
representatives.

Arbi, however, said the decree was a cause for concern because
it sought to retain the military presence in the House.

Sazili argued ABRI may be sent out of the House only after the
general elections in 2004.

"Maybe ABRI is already willing to get out," Sazili said.

"What's important now is how to avoid appointed members being
a majority in the House," he added.

Arbi said it must be now or never.

Sazili warned of "a problem" if ABRI was to be totally driven
out from the DPR now.

"This could create dissatisfaction within ABRI. We (DPR) don't
want this nation to break up, do we?" Sazili said.

Arbi retorted: "How unfair (the DPR has been)! Why be afraid
of the 500,000-strong ABRI, when ignoring millions of others who
want to see ABRI out of the House?"

Arbi dismissed the suggestion that ABRI needed to be retained
in the House for the nation's sake.

"Legislators should be representatives of the people, not
representatives of the nation. The nation's representative is
like a president when he or she is abroad," he said.

Sazili and Arbi, however, agreed that debates on the issue
would continue.

Sazili said: "ABRI at present must be seen as a force which
has improved itself to be a better one than it was. There's been
improvement within ABRI."

Arbi said the Assembly would lose people's respect if it
passed the decree on ABRI's presence in the House.

"It's a test-case for the MPR/DPR to prove that it is a
reformed MPR/DPR, not a bunch of... Soehartoists," he said.

Another test for the Assembly was whether it would adopt a
decree seeking to investigate those allegedly abused by Soeharto
during his 32 years as president.

However, Arbi said he was pessimistic about the Assembly
rising to the challenge. (23/44/aan)