Habibie scheduled to meet politicial party leaders

Habibie scheduled to meet politicial party leaders

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie is scheduled to meet with
leaders of nine political parties, including Megawati
Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), on Tuesday morning for talks on the forthcoming
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi said only political
parties which won at least one legislative seat in the June 7
elections were to be invited to the meeting at the State Palace.

Habibie convened the meeting in his capacity as the holder of
MPR's mandate, Muladi said on Monday.

He said the President would raise four topics in the meeting;
amending the 1945 Constitution, the President's accountability
and the status of the presidency and vice presidency.

"Pak Habibie will automatically submit his concepts regarding
the four subjects," Muladi said after meeting with Habibie at
Merdeka Palace to discuss the planned gathering.

He said Habibie expected Megawati would meet the invitation,
but added that the meeting would not be adversely affected if she
chose not to attend.

The minister said he sent the invitations to the parties'
headquarters but did not try to contact the leaders personally.

On Saturday he said he would phone National Mandate Party
(PAN) chairman Amien Rais, who was scheduled to leave for Mecca
on Monday for the minor haj pilgrimage.

Asked whether he contacted Megawati, Muladi replied that he
used a messenger service to convey the invitation to her.

"We hope that she herself will come, or at least she can send
a representative."

Of the 462 House of Representatives seats at stake in the
elections, 154 were won by PDI Perjuangan, 120 went to Golkar, 58
to the United Development Party, 51 to the National Awakening
Party, 35 to the National Mandate Party, 14 to the Crescent Star
Party, six to the Justice Party, three to PNU and one to the
Muslim Community Awakening Party.

Since replacing Soeharto in May last year, Habibie has
repeatedly invited Megawati through Golkar chairman Akbar
Tandjung to meet with him, but received no response.

Megawati and her siblings usually attend the Independence Day
celebration at the Palace every Aug. 17. Last year she was
absent.

In her first speech after the elections last week, Megawati
asked Habibie not to contest the presidential election to be held
during the MPR General Session in December.

Meanwhile, Noer Iskandar Al-Barsany, chairman of Central
Java's chapter of the National Mandate Party praised Habibie for
his initiative in organizing the meeting. Noer said such a
meeting was important to calm the emotions of the political
leaders.

He hoped that Habibie was sincere and would not manipulate the
event for his own interests.

"If Habibie uses the meeting to get more support for his
political goals, it will only cause more damages to the nation,"
said Noer.

In Bandung, professor of law Sri Sumantri criticized Megawati
for her reluctance to amend the Constitution. He said Megawati's
plan to make up for the constitution's shortcomings through MPR
decrees would be insufficient to accommodate the people's demand
for amendment.

"Improvements to the Constitution must be done by amending
it," he said. (45/43/prb)