Legislator launches book

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

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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'
JP/4/TNI

'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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Scene-verification-period
Ministry seeks party registration delay
JP/4/party

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
JP/4/forest

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