Govt guarantees safety for next MPR session
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)