Listen to vox populi

Listen to vox populi

The authorities appear to be taking no chances in the
countdown to the General Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) which begins on Sunday. They have vowed to clamp
down at the first signs of trouble and, judging from their
actions of the past few days, they mean what they say.

In Jakarta, where the session will be held from March 1-11,
street protests and all political meetings have been banned. Any
group or organization wishing to voice political sentiment must
first obtain police permission. As soon as these measures were
announced, the police were put to the test. On Sunday, a seminar
which planned to discuss the nomination of Emil Salim for vice
president was banned. Then on Monday, a handful of women
demonstrating peacefully at soaring food prices were detained.

The ban on all political meetings and seminars from one week
before to one week after the MPR General Session extends
nationwide and in practice appears to have been applied to all
kinds of gatherings, even wedding receptions.

The military has good reason to be vigilant. The sporadic
riots, widespread unrest, hoax bomb threats, protests and
expression of discontent which have hit Indonesia in recent weeks
all have the potential to undermine national security and
stability. Since the MPR General Session is regarded as the
climax in the nation's five year political cycle, the military
naturally feels that it is duty-bound to ensure its success,
hence the restrictions.

The importance of the MPR session cannot be overemphasized.
Much of the next five years of Indonesia's history will be
determined during the 11 day meeting of our 1,000 MPR members.
The State Policy Guidelines will be drawn up and a president and
vice president elected with the people's mandate to implement the
policies contained in that document.

But since most of the outcomes of the General Session are
decided beforehand, apprehension over possible disruptions to the
meeting may be exaggerated.

The State Policy Guidelines were drafted and agreed upon by
the five MPR factions during working committee meetings held
between November and January. All the decrees that the Assembly
intends to endorse have also been agreed in advance. President
Soeharto is assured of election to a seventh term and B.J.
Habibie is likely be the sole candidate for the vice presidency.
With the most important decisions taken before the General
Session convenes, all that needs doing is to bang the gavel.

A smoother meeting could not be asked for. But there is still
a threat of disruption from outside the MPR building. Senior
military officers have issued a stern warning to anybody tempted
to take this course of action.

While we appreciate the authorities' concern, we are deeply
disturbed by the heavy restrictions imposed, such as the ban on
gatherings and political meetings, which amount to a suppression
of popular opinion at a time when the nation is in need of public
reflection, dialog and discussion.

The General Session may be a gathering of the country's elite,
but the rest of the nation should not be ostracized from the
process of shaping the future. Although decisions on the most
critical issues have been taken, members of the five MPR factions
would be wise to heed the voice of the people they represent.
Recent rioting, unrest, criticism and protests suggest there is a
lot of pent-up emotion looking for an outlet. A considerate and
caring ear may go a long way to relieving this pressure.

It is wrong to think that the MPR will be successful only if
the proceedings run smoothly. A more telling measure of success
will be the way in which the MPR sets out to meet the aspirations
of the electorate. At a time like this, popular expression must
be encouraged, not suppressed.