Harmoko asks Soeharto to resign

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Harmoko asked President Soeharto yesterday to step down for the sake of the country's unity.

But Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto poured cold water on the jubilation that Harmoko's announcement provoked, by denouncing the House speaker as speaking "with no legal basis."

Harmoko, reading from a prepared text, told a media briefing that the House's leaders had thoroughly and carefully studied the rapid developments that have taken place in the country.

They underscored the growing demand for reform, including for the holding of an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which is also chaired by Harmoko, and for the President's resignation.

"In response to this situation, the House's leaders, in this case the speaker and the deputies, hope that the President will act wisely and with wisdom, and will step down for the sake of the unity and integrity of the nation," Harmoko said to loud applause and shouts of Merdeka (freedom) from journalists.

Flanking Harmoko were his deputies Ismail Hasan Metareum of the United Development Party (PPP), Syarwan Hamid of the Armed Forces (ABRI), Abdul Gafur of Golkar and Fatimah Ahmad of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Syarwan, an Army lieutenant general, raised his fist to salute journalists at the end of the short briefing, in which Harmoko refused to answer questions.

Harmoko said the House leadership would hold a meeting with the heads of the four factions today to discuss the issue and the outcome would be given to President Soeharto.

He said this was in line with House rules which state that all decisions must be made with the factional leaders.

He appealed to the nation "to remain calm and exercise restraint, preserve unity and cohesion, and maintain peace and order so that everything could proceed in a constitutional manner."

Harmoko's surprising announcement came three days after Soeharto stated that he was prepared to resign if the people no longer trusted him, but that he would only step down if it was done by constitutional means.

Soeharto has also said that he was prepared to lengser keprabon, a Javanese phrase meaning to abdicate, and to play the role of a sage to guide the nation from behind.

Soeharto was reelected for a seventh five-year term in office in March during the MPR General Session chaired by Harmoko, who is widely regarded as a staunch Soeharto loyalist.

Harmoko has resisted pressures to call for an extraordinary session of the MPR, which effectively means a motion to impeach the President.

Only a few hours after the announcement, Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto denounced Harmoko's statement as "having no legal basis".

Wiranto visited Soeharto at the latter's Jl. Cendana residence and later held a meeting with ABRI's top leaders before calling for a media briefing last night.

"Harmoko's statement that Soeharto should step down was the opinion of individuals (House leaders), although it was made collectively," Wiranto said, adding that such a call should have been made after the House held a plenary meeting.

ABRI feels that a more urgent matter for the President now is to reshuffle the cabinet and carry out thorough reform to overcome the crisis, Wiranto said.

He suggested the establishment of a council for reform comprising representatives of the government and the public, especially student leaders and government critics.

This council should work with the House, he added.

Harmoko did not appear to have the full outright support from the House's factions either, not even from his Golkar faction.

Golkar faction chief Irsyad Sudiro told The Jakarta Post that Soeharto's resignation was one of four options the ruling group has been considering.

The other three are:

* Allowing the President to remain in office to carry out total reform.

* Replacing the President and Vice President with a triumvirate council comprising the minister of foreign affairs, minister of home affairs and minister of defense and security.

* Holding an extraordinary session of the MPR.

Irsyad said these options would be discussed at a meeting of Golkar's executive board planned for later last night.

Harmoko is also chairman of the board, while Soeharto is the chief patron of the ruling group, a powerful position that allows him to veto any decision made by the central executive board.

Irsyad also said the position announced by Harmoko reflected the stance of the House's leaders, and not of Golkar.

"Harmoko was speaking in his capacity as a House leader. He has not sidestepped Golkar," he said, adding Golkar could still reject the House leaders' demand for Soeharto's resignation.

Earlier, 20 Golkar House members signed a petition calling for the House leadership to call for an extraordinary session of the MPR.

The 20 signatories were Aryadi Achmad, Usman Erwulan, M Iqbal Assegaf, Kamaruddin Mohammad, Eki Syachruddin, Yanto, Priyo Budi Santoso, Fachri Andi Leluasa, Azhar Romli, Siti Ainomi R Lengkong, Ibrahim Ambong, Mursidan Baldan, Laode M Kamaludin, M Yahya Zaini, Gandjar Razuni and Engkoswara.

Thirty-three PPP House members signed a petition calling for both Soeharto's resignation and an extraordinary MPR session, Antara reported.

"This is our position," Hamzah Haz, PPP faction chairman, said.

PDI faction chairman Budi Hardjono said his party fully endorsed the demand for Soeharto's resignation, which he said provided the head of state with a respectable way out.

"PDI faction felt that someone who has dedicated his life to the nation and the country should always be respected," Budi was quoted by Antara as saying. (team)