Govt guarantees safety for next MPR session

JAKARTA (JP): The government has promised a safe general session of the People's Consultative Assembly next March when the body will elect a president and vice president.

Minister of Defense Edi Sudrajat told a hearing of House Commission I on defense and political affairs yesterday that there was nothing to worry about.

The Armed Forces and other security personnel were on alert and prepared for possible attempts to disrupt the five-yearly general session, he said.

"The present and future security conditions are good in general and conducive enough for us to hold the general session. But it's always necessary to keep an eye out for any attempts to disrupt the general session," Edi said.

He was answering a question from the commission on the riots which broke out in many cities and towns before and after the general election.

The violence before the election peaked in the burning of a shopping center in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan on May 23 that killed 123 people. Security authorities said that most of those who died there had been looters.

More riots hit several towns in East Java as people protested alleged vote-rigging shortly after the May 29 poll.

Last week, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman warned the Armed Forces of possible riots during the general session.

The 1,000-strong consultative assembly will convene to deliberate the broad guidelines of state policies and elect a new president and vice president for 1998 to 2003.

President Soeharto is widely expected to win a sixth five-year term. He has yet to announce whether he will run again.

"There is a possibility that certain groups want to disrupt the assembly," Soesilo said after meeting President Soeharto.

Soesilo failed to name the groups, but said they belonged to "those who are against our national commitment".

Last January, Soeharto ordered the establishment of alert centers in each regency to monitor antigovernment activities that could lead to unrest.

Edi reiterated yesterday that a third party had incited the riots and the government was working to gather evidence to bring the masterminds to court.

"It takes time to reveal the instigators because we have to comply with all legal procedures," Edi said.

He said a few people had not yet accepted the Pancasila state ideology and the constitution. He said that such people would take advantage of any community problems.

"We fully understand that there are shortcomings in our development program, despite the success and progress that it has generated," Edi said.

He said the government had tried to enforce laws consistently to deal with socioeconomic disparity and political disharmony that might cause national instability.

"The government will always evaluate how development programs are applied and try to address all shortcomings, improve the quality of our bureaucracy and increase public participation," he said. (amd)