Jakarta court agrees to try Bintang's suit

Jakarta court agrees to try Bintang's suit

JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta State Administrative Court agreed
yesterday to try a lawsuit filed by controversial politician Sri
Bintang Pamungkas against President Soeharto for dismissing him
from the House of Representatives.

"The court has agreed to proceed with the lawsuit," Bintang
told reporters after the first hearing. "It (the court) has asked
for some corrections in the wordings of the lawsuit."

The first hearing is the phase where the court decides whether
or not to proceed with the case.

One change in the lawsuit ordered by Judge Sudarto Radyo
Suwarno was over Bintang's occupation, which was listed as a
member of the House of Representatives. The judge, according to
Bintang, said he should be listed as a former member.

In the lawsuit Bintang asked the court that he be reinstated
as a House member and that the President withdraw a May decree
that gave the final approval for his dismissal.

Noted human rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, who
accompanied Bintang in yesterday's trial, said the judge also
asked the plaintiff to condense the lawsuit.

Bintang was removed from the House at the instigation of the
United Development Party (PPP) which he was representing. After
helping the Moslem-based party in its 1992 election campaign, he
fell out of favor with party leaders for deviating from party
lines on controversial issues, especially on the political role
of the Armed Forces.

He is also the current subject of an official investigation
for allegedly insulting the head of state during a lecture he
gave to Indonesian students in Germany last March.

In the lawsuit, Bintang argued that he was never given any
opportunity to defend himself. He also claims that his dismissal
was unconstitutional.

This is the second of his two lawsuits against the government.
The first one is asking the court to lift the government's travel
ban against him. The ban has already prevented him from attending
his daughter's graduation ceremony in the United States last May.
(imn)