Factions divided over ABRI representation in legislature

JAKARTA (JP): As widely expected, factions in the People's Consultative Assembly were divided on Thursday over the Armed Forces' (ABRI's) representation in the legislative body.

The United Development Party (PPP) faction stuck to its guns and insisted that the military should not be given seats in the legislative bodies. Chapters 5 and 6 of the draft decree on the structure of the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) guarantees the military seats in both bodies.

They said that if ABRI was to have seats in the two legislative bodies then it must contest them in elections. They also called for the two chapters to be dropped from the MPR draft decree, saying the same ground was covered by the political bills currently being deliberated by the House.

"It's the House that should decide on the matter," PPP spokesman Djufrie Asmoredjo said.

However the other factions -- Golkar, the Armed Forces, the Indonesian Democratic Party and the Regional Representatives -- said that ABRI should continue to be represented in the House by a faction that would gradually be reduced in size over time. They insisted the two chapters should be retained in the draft decrees as "an umbrella" for the political bills.

The discourse took place during a meeting of Assembly Commission A.

Also on Thursday, the Commission agreed to revoke the extraordinary power granted to the president by the Assembly during its March general session. The Commission also agreed to limit the presidential and vice presidential terms in office to a maximum of two.

Commission members -- many of whom participated in the March session -- agreed that the extraordinary power should not have been granted given its potential for misuse to violate the law and human rights.

Achmad Rustandi, chairman of the ABRI faction, said the decree should be lifted because the 1945 Constitution already grants the president considerable power. More power could lead to an authoritarian tendency on the part of current and future presidents, he pointed out.

The ABRI faction cited the bad experience the nation has had with its two previous presidents. In both cases, a long tenure in office led to a concentration of power in the hands of the country's two past presidents.

"Other state institutions, including the legislative bodies and the Supreme Court did not function effectively during both presidents' terms in office," he said.

Prof. Ali Hashmi, spokesman for the regional representatives faction, agreed that a limitation to the presidential term in office was needed to uphold democracy.

The PPP faction called for the new limit to be enshrined in the Constitution to avoid any future misinterpretation.

"We can make changes and corrections to the Constitution now because the 1988 MPR decree on referenda is to be lifted by the Special Session," Robbani said in reference to a decree which makes it necessary to hold a national referendum before making any changes to the Constitution. (rms)