Golkar reassigns another legislator

Golkar reassigns another legislator

JAKARTA (JP): Another prominent legislator of Golkar will soon be withdrawn from the House of Representatives (DPR) as part of the ruling group's ongoing mid-term reshuffle.

The ink on the dismissal of Bambang Warih Koesoemo was barely dry when Golkar chairman Harmoko announced yesterday his intention to reassign Usman Hasan, possibly to an ambassadorial job overseas.

Usman was head of Golkar's faction in the House of Representatives, but he lost that post a few months after Harmoko was elected as Golkar's chairman in October 1993.

Usman is seen as a close confidante of Wahono, the former Golkar chairman who was replaced by Harmoko. Wahono however remains the DPR speaker, still an influential position.

Usman retained his DPR seat as a member of the House's Commission IV on agriculture, transmigration and forestry, widely seen as a drastic demotion from his previous job as faction chief. Many believed that his political career was over.

Harmoko insisted yesterday that the change was "normal" and that Golkar's central executive board has every right to replace its legislators in the House.

"Mid-term changes can be carried out either because a legislator is due an ambassadorial post or because of his indisciplinary actions," Harmoko, was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying. He added that Usman Hasan had been informed of the change.

Harmoko made the remarks after leading a post-Idul Fitri get- together with Golkar central board executives.

Harmoko declined to say which country Usman Hasan would be assigned to as an Indonesian ambassador. "Let's just wait for the announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Some journalists speculate that it could be Mexico.

Harmoko yesterday declined to say who had been assigned to fill in the seat vacated by Bambang Warih Koesoemo.

Golkar leaders last month announced their intention to withdraw Bambang from the House, saying that he repeatedly overstepped the group's official line during the course of his work. They also accused Bambang of offending a number of cabinet ministers at various DPR hearings.

The request to fire Bambang was made to Wahono as the House Speaker. He in turn passed on the letter to President Soeharto "with some additional notes". The nature of these additional notes has since been the subject of speculation.

So far, the President has not made public his intention on whether or not to approve Golkar's intention to fire Bambang.

In his speech at Golkar's gathering yesterday, Harmoko stressed the need for Golkar members to uphold discipline.

He announced Golkar's intention to focus its activities this year on the commemoration of Indonesia's 50th independence anniversary. "We especially want to help intensify the nation's efforts at eradicating poverty," he added.(emb)