DPR sets 1999 election date

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Harmoko announced on Thursday that the general election will be held on June 7 and that the newly elected People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will convene on Aug. 29.

But Harmoko did not specify when the MPR would elect the new president, saying that the main agenda on Aug. 29 would be the swearing in of the new MPR members and the establishment of the MPR working committee.

The announcement, made in the foyer of the DPR building, came after a meeting with President B.J. Habibie. The President, who was present during the announcement to the media, refused to take questions.

The two leaders also agreed to accelerate the investigation into the massive fortune that former president Soeharto and his family allegedly amassed during his 32-year rule.

However, Habibie abandoned the idea of establishing an independent commission to carry out an investigation of Soeharto after many respected public figures declined offers to join the commission.

These figures, who would have lent credibility to the team, refused after learning that the team would have little investigative power and would be limited to making recommendations on courses of action for Habibie to pursue.

Minister of Justice Muladi told reporters in the DPR foyer that growing public distrust over the plan had influenced Habibie's decision to drop the idea, "at least for now".

"Considering the pros and cons, the government has first decided to utilize the existing state institutions," Muladi said, referring to the Attorney General's Office as the primary institution to conduct the investigation.

Habibie has come under strong public pressure to step up the investigation of Soeharto's wealth, one of the key demands of recent student demonstrations in Jakarta and elsewhere.

Thursday's announcement of the election date and the agreement to accelerate the Soeharto investigation appeared to be aimed at placating critics of Habibie who say that he has been stalling on both issues.

While the announcement of the election date was widely expected, the plan to convene the MPR meeting in August instead of December as first planned, came only after questions were raised about the long gap between the two events, which would have effectively made Habibie a lame duck president.

The MPR will elect a president and vice president, and endorse the broad outlines of state policy.

The DPR and the government are currently deliberating several bills related to next year's general election.

Regarding the investigation of Soeharto, after consulting with the DPR, the State Secretariat released copies of the President's instructions to Attorney General Lt. Gen. Andi Muhammad Ghalib to "immediately take proactive, effective and efficient measures to combat corruption, collusion and nepotism".

In the decree, Habibie ordered Ghalib "to promptly take legal steps to investigate former president Soeharto, who is suspected of having engaged in corruption, collusion and nepotism."

The decree also reminded the Attorney General to uphold the principle of the presumption of innocence while conducting the investigation.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung later explained that the government has discovered accounts belonging to Soeharto in 72 banks, including eight foreign banks, worth Rp 23 billion (US$3 million).

Forbes magazine at one time put the Soeharto family's fortune at $16 billion, but later downgraded this sum to $4 billion following the Asian economic crisis. Other estimates put the family's total wealth as high as $40 billion.

The Soeharto investigation was mandated by a decree issued by the MPR in its Special Session last month.

Critics however have doubted whether Habibie, a protege of Soeharto, has the resolution to see the investigation through.

Last weekend, Soeharto's lawyer warned that the former president would drag down Habibie and other government officials if the investigation reached the courts.

This was the second time since he became President in May that Habibie has paid a visit to Harmoko for consultations.

Habibie was accompanied by his four coordinating ministers and other key Cabinet members. Harmoko was accompanied by his four deputies. (prb/emb)