Golkar gears up for MPR meeting

Golkar gears up for MPR meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Golkar intensified yesterday preparations for
the opening of the General Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) tomorrow, marshalling members to attend briefings
and signed nomination forms for the ruling faction's candidacy
of Soeharto and B.J. Habibie as the next president and vice
president respectively.

The chairman of Golkar's Assembly faction, Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, said yesterday that most Golkar legislators had
signed the forms of support. He failed to unveil the exact
figure, but Golkar has 588 of the 1,000 seats in the Assembly
thanks to its landslide win in last year's general election.

The faction has been collecting the signatures in stages. The
first round was on Tuesday, the second was yesterday while those
who have not signed are expected to do so today.

Ginandjar said the arrangement was made for the sake of
efficiency because of the size of his squad for the quinquennial
session.

"Don't make an issue out of it (the signing). It's a practical
matter. Other factions also do it," Ginandjar said after
presiding over a Golkar coordinative meeting at the Assembly
building.

He said the practice was part of Golkar's internal mechanism
for the presidential and vice presidential nomination. The
signatures will be attached to a letter stating Golkar's choices
that will be presented to the Assembly leaders.

All of the five factions in the Assembly have announced
incumbent Soeharto and B.J. Habibie as their sole candidates for
the presidency and vice presidency.

They will formally nominate their presidential candidates on
March 8, and their vice presidential choices on March 11 in the
11-day gathering.

Golkar legislators gathered yesterday at a hall in the
Pertamina state oil company office on Jl. Perwira, Central
Jakarta for a briefing from their executives and the signing.

The regional representatives faction, one of Golkar's
traditional allies, completed its signing Thursday night, while
the other three factions are expected to finish theirs by March
8.

Ginandjar failed to confirm yesterday whether the practice was
mandatory for all Golkar legislators.

"Members of the Golkar faction should be willing to nominate
(Soeharto and Habibie). If they do not want to sign, why would
they join Golkar?" Ginandjar said.

He refused to disclose the punishment that awaits Golkar
legislators who fail to put their signatures to the nomination
form. "I haven't seen anyone refusing to sign," he said.

A colleague of Ginandjar, Abdul Gafur, threatened earlier this
week to dismiss dissenting members.

Speaker of the Assembly Harmoko installed yesterday three new
regional representatives in the highest legislative body.

Maj. Gen. Muchlis Ibrahim of West Sumatra, Oemarsono of
Lampung and Mohammad Saleh Latuconsina of Maluku were named to
replace Zuraida Hasan Basri Durin, Brig. Gen. Bibit Waluyo and
Akib Latuconsina respectively.

In his speech, Harmoko called on all legislators not to turn a
blind eye to people's escalating demands prompted by successful
development programs.

"The demands need correct responses and handling, so that they
won't harm the ongoing development programs. It's necessary for
us to understand the aspirations of people who have become more
educated," Harmoko said.

Separately, self-proclaimed vice presidential candidate Emil
Salim called on all Assembly factions to heed people's concerns
over the soaring prices of foodstuffs and other basic
commodities.

Speaking at a media conference here, Emil said the factions
should "open doors" for the people. He said the people's
aspirations were not "simple matters that could just be handled
by the police".

"These are the concerns of almost every layer of society,
including mothers, students, civil servants, military and police
officers who have felt the pinch of the crisis," he said.

"It's time for factions in the Assembly to show the people
that they belong to them, not to any political organization or
grouping. Take those concerns into the General Session," he said.

In Yogyakarta, local United Development Party (PPP) leaders
slammed party Secretary-General Tosari Wijaya who has threatened
to dismiss party legislators who dare to dissent during the
General Session.

"Assembly legislators are representatives of the people not
those of a political party or a group. There is no rule that
forbids a legislator from interrupting the session or channeling
people's aspirations," said Herman Abdurrahman, the chief of the
PPP chapter in Sleman, Yogyakarta. (23/aan/amd)