Govt to seek political solution on Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman further fueled speculation the government would opt for a political solution to corruption allegations against former president Soeharto, saying on Friday justice could be served equally through a political or legal resolution.

"It goes together. Justice can be achieved through legal means and through a political solution," Marzuki said when asked by reporters at the State Palace whether a political solution would be contrary to the legal evidence collected.

"They are mutually strengthening," he said.

Both Marzuki and President Abdurrahman Wahid have stated they intend to reopen the case against the former president.

However, Abdurrahman has indicated that upon collecting enough evidence it would be better simply to assess how much money Soeharto was obliged to return to the state.

Marzuki conceded President Abdurrahman was drafting a formula for a political solution to the case.

"Yes, the President is developing a formula for a political decision. That is completely the prerogative of the President and offers a whole solution to the case," he said.

"The duty of the Attorney General's Office is to provide legal foundations and to carefully examine the details of the case ... my duty is to provide a solid legal foundation on why and how this case should be resolved judicially," Marzuki said.

Marzuki did not indicate when he would resume the investigation or how long it would take to conclude.

In a separate development, the Legal Aid Foundation in Yogyakarta welcomed the appointment of Marzuki as attorney general and Yusril Ihza Mahendra as minister of law and legislation.

Marzuki's appointment will bring "fresh air" to the high- prestige cases which previously were deliberately neglected, foundation chairman Budi Santoso said in a statement.

The statement also said it was expected that Marzuki, with his political virtue, could thoroughly investigate the Soeharto case.

"With his moral integrity and his commitment to reform and to uphold the supremacy of law, it is expected that Marzuki can repair the tainted image of the Attorney General's Office," Budi said.

Commenting on the appointment of Yusril, Budi said it was a strategic step taken by the President, and that establishing the ministry of law and legislation and scrapping the ministry of justice would end the ambivalence which often occurred between the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice.

"This is also an attempt to eliminate executive intervention in the judiciary, as often happened," Budi said.

Yusril's ministry is expected to integrate the country's legal products so there will be no overlap, he said.

Meanwhile, Yusril said on Friday his ministry would be the sole ministry responsible for producing legal products.

"We will hold talks with the state minister of administrative reforms, who oversees the Cabinet Secretariat, to discuss moving the legislation-producing mechanism from the Cabinet Secretariat to our ministry," he said during a break in the inauguration ceremony at the ministry in South Jakarta.

"The ministry will be the center of law so there will be no more overlap in making legislation," he said.

The ceremony also was attended by former minister of justice Muladi. (prb/emf/23/asa)