Legislator launches book

AKARTA: Legislator Effendy Choirie of the National Awakening Party (PKB) on Friday launched a book titled Privatisasi Versus Neo Sosialisme di Indonesia (Privatization Versus Neo Socialism in Indonesia).

The book was actually the publication of the thesis he presented to obtain a post-graduate degree from the Bandung-based Padjajaran University recently.

"I will enter business if I don't get elected next year, at least the political business," Choirie joked.

The book published by the Institute for Economy Research, Information, and Education (LP3ES) includes the legal background of the privatization of state-owned companies.

Choirie declined to further divulge the contents of his book but a number of legislators and trade unions have expressed strong opposition to the government's move to sell state-owned enterprises to multi-national corporations.

Although his book deals with privatization, Choirie also refused to comment on the privatization of water as stipulated in the water resource bill currently deliberated by the House. --JP ;JP;IWA; ANPAa..r.. Scene-KPU-denial KPU denies huge budget for housing JP/4/HPU

KPU denies huge budget for housing

JAKARTA: The General Elections Commission (KPU) denied on Thursday an allegation made by a non-government organization that KPU had allocated funds totaling Rp 649 billion (US$76.3 million) to the construction of houses for its members.

KPU member Valina Sinka Subekti said the commission had allocated only Rp 12 billion for the construction of 13, 250- square-metre-houses.

"The funds are allocated in accordance with standards set by the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure," she said.

The Center of Regional Development Studies (PSPK) earlier criticized KPU's poor performance, including KPU's intention to build houses for its members worth Rp 649 billion.

Meanwhile, another KPU member, Anas Urbaningrum, said KPU had been looking for the best location to build the houses.

Locations the commission has been considering include, Jl. Margasatwa and Jl. Wijaya in South Jakarta. --JP

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'TNI should stay neutral in elections'

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto urged politicians on Friday not to invite the military back into politics and suggested that the institution stay neutral in the 2004 general elections.

"I ask the people to allow us (TNI) not to exercise our political rights," Endriartono told reporters.

"If in the past we supported certain political parties in this country, now I ask politicians not to encourage us to get involved in this party or that party," said Endriartono, referring to the close-relationship between TNI and the New Order ruling party Golkar during Soeharto's 32 years of leadership.

Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais said earlier that he would enlist a military officer as his running mate in 2004, when the country is expected to hold its first ever direct presidential election.

Under the amended 1945 Constitution, the presence of TNI in the House of Representatives will be scrapped in 2004, while the People's Consultative Assembly in 2009. --JP

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Ministry seeks party registration delay

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Friday to extend the deadline for political parties to register with the commission from Oct. 9, to Oct. 19.

Director General of the General Administrative Law of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry Zulkarnaen Yunus said his office would announce the results of its verification of political parties on Oct. 12, instead of Sept. 27 as scheduled.

"We have 66 parties to verify in this last phase. We need more time than the previous phases," he said after a meeting with KPU members Mulyana W. Kusumah and Anas Urbaningrum.

At present, between 50 and 70 percent of the 66 parties have been verified.

Mulyana told Zulkarnaen that KPU would hold a plenary meeting to decide whether or not KPU would approve the ministry's request.

But he hoped that the ministry would speed up the verification process to avoid the extension of party registrations with KPU. -- JP

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Deforestation hits 43m hectares

YOGYAKARTA: Minister of Forestry Muhammad Prakosa said on Friday that at least 43 million hectares of forests nationwide have been destroyed.

The massive deforestation is a wake up call, not only for the government, but also for the public, said Prakosa.

"Deforestation will continue at a fast pace, unless the public and the government immediately pay attention to this alarming trend," said Prakosa.

Rampant landslides and droughts in the country were clear evidence that deforestation had really harmed the people, said Prakosa.

He concluded that both the public and the government should immediately join together in rehabilitating and protecting the forests. -- Antara