House forced to vote on speaker

House forced to vote on speaker

JAKARTA (JP): The new House of Representative was forced to
vote to elect its speaker on Tuesday following an acrimonious
debate over technicalities.

The debate, which went beyond midnight, surfaced when Crescent
Star Party (PBB) legislator Hartono Mardjono protested the result
of a consultative meeting which unanimously appointed Golkar
chairman Akbar Tandjung to the House's top post.

Citing the House's internal rules, Hartono said the decision
was not binding because the rules grant individual House
legislators the right to vote.

"We must stick to the rules. A decision must be overruled even
if a single member objects to it," Hartono said. "Such a
consensus could be pregnant with manipulation and no one can be
forced to accept it."

He said deliberations to reach a consensus was a legacy of
Soeharto's New Order regime, which was no longer compatible with
the democratic ideals of the ongoing reform movement.

He protested the election, which was limited to faction
representatives instead of involving all House members in
attendance.

His objection came just after interim speaker Abdul Madjid
praised the result of the consultative meeting attended by
representatives of the House's 10 factions.

"I cannot press for House members to accept the consensus, but
I warn you that nobody rejected my offer of a deliberation,"
Madjid, who was named interim speaker because he is the senior
member of the House, said.

Golkar acceded to the vote to avoid giving the impression that
it had yet to make a break with its past. The party was a
faithful supporter of long-time ruler Soeharto, who resigned in
May last year following a wave of demonstrations.

"We can accept the vote to show our commitment to reform. It
will not hurt our pride if our chairman takes a deputy speaker
post," the chief of the Golkar faction in the House, Syamsul
Muarif, said.

He regretted the objection, however, after learning that large
parties like Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle approved the
consensus to appoint Akbar to the speaker's post.

Factions

The new House endorsed earlier on Tuesday 10 factions which
comprise political parties, coalitions of political parties and
the Indonesian Military/National Police.

Five major parties -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which has 153 seats in the House, the
120-strong Golkar Party, the 58-strong United Development Party
(PPP), the 51-strong National Awakening Party (PKB) and the 13-
member Crescent Star Party (PBB) -- and the Love the Nation
Democratic Party (PDKB), which has three seats in the House,
elected to form their own factions.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK),
who have 41 seats in the House between them, joined forces in the
Reform faction, while eight small nationalist and religious-
oriented parties formed the Indonesian Unity and Awakening
faction (FKKI). Five Muslim-based parties coalesced in the United
People's Sovereignty (FPDU) faction.

The PDI Perjuangan faction named Dimyati Hartono its leader,
Golkar picked Syamsul Muarif, PPP appointed Rusydi Hamka, PBB
named Ahmad Seomargono, PKB named Muhaimin Iskandar, PDKB opted
for Manase Malo, the Reform faction chose Hatta Rajasa, FKKI
selected Sutradara Gintings, FPDU appointed Ahmad Satari and the
Indonesian Military/National Police faction chose Lt. Gen. Achmad
Roestandi.

In the past, the House comprised only three factions,
representing political parties which contested the general
election plus the military faction.

Only half of the 10 new factions were allowed to contest the
post of House speaker. The decision was made after hours of
debate which forced back the schedule for the election of the
House speaker to around 10 p.m.

Golkar deputy chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf hinted that Akbar
Tandjung might seek the presidency or vice presidency after
contesting the House speaker post.

"His election as House speaker will not dash his opportunity
to run for the vice presidency, or even the presidency," Slamet
said as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.

The late Adam Malik was elected House speaker in October 1978
and was named vice president five months later.

"Theoretically, Akbar can still run for another post, for vice
president or even president, for example," Slamet said.

The Law on the Composition of Relationships of High State
Institutions bars citizens from holding both executive and
legislative posts.

Akbar has been named Golkar's candidate for the vice
presidency, along with Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen.
Wiranto, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, who is now a deputy chairman of
the People's Consultative Assembly, and Yogyakarta Governor
Hamengkubuwono X.

Golkar has made incumbent B.J. Habibie its sole presidential
candidate. Party executives will gather next week to evaluate
Habibie's candidacy. (05/amd)