House speaker supports formation of new groups

House speaker supports formation of new groups

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives Wahono
yesterday said he fully supported the recent establishment of new
"brotherhood" organizations, that they help reverse the trend
towards potentially divisive sectarian politics.

Wahono noted that these new organizations have one stated
common objective which is to develop the nation without
undermining the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945
Constitution.

"We are fortunate to have these new organizations. We are
optimistic that the country's best children who formed these
brotherhood organizations would reverse the trend that has been
undermining our political unity," he said during a plenary
session to kick off a new working session of the House.

"We hope these organizations can prevent the re-emergence of
sectarian politics, which can threaten national unity," he added.

Wahono did not precisely name the organizations.

At least three new organizations have been established in
recent months with the proclaimed objectives of preserving and
strengthening the unity of the nation.

They are the National Brotherhood Foundation, the Association
of Intellectuals for Pancasila Development and the Indonesian
National Unity (PNI).

The three organizations have expressed concern over national
development, based on values included in the state ideology
Pancasila.

The National Brotherhood Foundation was established on Oct. 23
by 67 influential public figures who claimed unanimous commitment
to save the nation from polarizing social developments.

The foundation has a wide variety of membership, with members
being former senior military officers, leaders of the ruling
Golkar organization, the United Development Party, the Indonesian
Democratic Party and scholars from various fields.

They include Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bambang Triantoro, formerly
deputy to the Army's chief of staff and the Armed Forces' chief
of social and political affairs, Matori Abdul Djalil, former
secretary-general of the United Development Party, former House
speaker Kharis Suhud, Moslem leader Dahlan Ranuwihardjo,
intellectual Harsya Bachtiar and former Catholic party leader
Frans Seda.

Support

The Association of Intellectuals for Pancasila Development was
founded earlier in July by staff lecturers of Jenderal Soedirman
University in Purwokerto, Central Java. It has since received
wide support from intellectuals looking for such a forum not
based on religion.

Many political analysts see the Association of Intellectuals
for Pancasila Development as a counter to the growing strength
and influence of the Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals, which is chaired by State Minister of Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie. A number of cabinet ministers are also
members of the association .

The third organization, the Indonesian National Unity, was
established Oct. 26.

The acronym of the new organization is identical to that of
the Partai National Indonesia (Indonesian Nationalist Party),
which at one time provided political support for Sukarno,
Indonesia's first president. The old PNI merged into the
Indonesian Democratic Party in 1973.

PNI's chairman Supeni has insisted that the organization is
fully committed to strengthening nationalism.

"We want to establish unity and cooperate with various groups,
as long as they are based on the state ideology Pancasila,"
Supeni said during PNI's establishment.

Wahono in his speech also expressed concern over the country's
biggest political organization, which he said should always refer
to its commitment for the betterment and welfare of the people
through development.

"Golkar should always side with the weak in its commitment for
development," he said. (imn)