Harmoko asks Soeharto to resign

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)