Govt will not hold dialog on succession: Yogie

Govt will not hold dialog on succession: Yogie

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
dismissed yesterday suggestions to hold a national dialog
discussing presidential succession.

Yogie said the idea of holding such a dialog was groundless.

"The people's aspirations have been included in the draft of
State Policy Guidelines," he told journalists.

The minister was responding to a proposal by political
observer Amien Rais, who suggested Saturday that a national
dialog, discussing presidential succession, be held before the
1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) when it
convenes in March.

Amien, chairman of the 28-million strong Muhammadiyah Moslem
Organization, also suggested that the public be included in the
national dialog, to be held through open seminars, polls
published by newspapers, or debates and quizzes on radio and
television stations.

Presidential succession is a rare issue brought up only by a
very limited number of political figures or observers.

Many leading figures and prominent analysts believe President
Soeharto will retain his post for another five-year presidential
term.

Asked whether presidential succession was also included in the
State Policy Guidelines, Yogie said state leadership succession
was ruled under a separate mechanism.

"The presidential succession issue will be discussed in the
five-yearly meeting of the Assembly," he remarked. "All input
from people will also be discussed in the same forum," he added.

Members of the Assembly will meet on March 1 to elect a
president and vice president. They will also draw up the State
Policy Guidelines on the occasion.

Yogie was speaking to journalists yesterday about a briefing
with members of the provincial legislative councils.

Yogie said the briefing was meant to refresh their minds on
the 1945 Constitution, laws and other regulations.

"We (the government) do not teach them knowledge about
legislative tasks. They are more clever than the government on
the issue," he said. "You (journalists) should not be suspicious
of the briefing," he added.

People

Separately, deputy House speaker of the Armed Forces (ABRI)
faction, Soetedjo, said yesterday that a national dialog on
presidential succession should be the prerogative of the people.

"It will rest on the people. If people insist, then go ahead,"
he said after the transfer-of-duty ceremony of the House's Armed
Forces faction chief from Suparman Achmad to Hari Sabarno at the
House building.

Meanwhile, former ABRI House faction chief Lt. Gen. Suparman
Achmad said it was not necessary to "teach" legislators how to
respond to people's aspirations because the House, through its
factions, actively sought and absorbed people's aspirations
without being ordered.

"The House's Armed Forces faction has quietly held dialogs
with people," he told reporters.

"It's not necessary to publish our activities," he said.

He also said that it was not part of Indonesia's democratic
culture to discuss issues on succession on televised talk shows,
as found in Western countries.

"Discussions on presidential succession should only be held by
House factions, not by individuals," he said, adding that the
Armed Forces faction had also absorbed people's aspirations on
the issue.

Amien's suggestion found support from political scientist J.
Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Apart from the debate on presidential succession, he also
urged seminars, debates and discussions on a variety of national,
political, economic and social issues.

"Discourse should never halt," he said adding that if public
debates ceased, the government would consider the public content
with prevailing situations.

"Public debates, aspirations and disagreements should be
displayed," he said. (imn/10)