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)