Golkar wants MPR special session

JAKARTA (JP): The majority of Golkar members in the House of Representatives voted yesterday to convene an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to bring about President Soeharto's resignation.

However, they are divided on whether Vice President B.J. Habibie should tender his resignation at the same time.

Golkar faction chief Irsyad Sudiro said that during a meeting yesterday, Golkar representatives were presented with several options which could break the political impasse over the President's future.

Most of the representatives wanted him to resign through an extraordinary session of the MPR.

Golkar representatives said the MPR should ask Soeharto to step down, but it should not hold him accountable for the current crisis.

Constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra has said that convening an extraordinary session to demand Soeharto's resignation is tantamount to an impeachment process.

Yusril said that if this option was taken, Soeharto would be grilled by the MPR, and most likely disgraced.

Soeharto's predecessor, Sukarno, was impeached by the assembly in 1967 at the peak of a political upheaval.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by 173 of Golkar's 318 members so they made up a quorum, a member of the House staff said.

Golkar controls 318 of the 500 seats in the House.

House speaker Harmoko can call for an extraordinary session of the MPR if there is sufficient demand from the House floor.

The result of yesterday's meeting will be presented to Golkar's Central Executive Board for discussion today.

Irsyad said the faction had proposed that the MPR convene on June 8, adding that the date had been suggested by students during an earlier meeting with Golkar representatives, Antara reported.

The Golkar faction originally hoped that the MPR would convene within four months, but student leaders said that was too long to wait, he said.

Irsyad said the MPR would convene after an agreement had been reached between MPR leaders and the President.

Both the President and Vice President should resign voluntarily and return their mandates to the MPR, he said.

Other options presented to Golkar faction members included:

* Soeharto resigns and Habibie takes over without convening an extraordinary session of the MPR.

* Both Soeharto and Habibie resign and allow a triumvirate council comprising the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Defense and Security to run the government.

* Allow Soeharto to carry out the reform program which he promised on Tuesday.

All these options were rejected.

Gunariah K. Muhdi, a Golkar member, described the meeting as the most tense she had seen within the Golkar faction.

House of Representatives Speaker Harmoko called on President Soeharto to resign for the sake of national unity on Monday.

Harmoko is also chairman of Golkar's Central Executive Board, but he is subordinate to Soeharto, who heads the powerful Golkar Board of Patrons. (byg)