Mega urged to fire Jakob Tobing

CIREBON, West Java: Hundreds of supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) went on strike at the Cirebon legislature building to protest the ongoing amendment being made by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) into the 1945 Constitution.

They demanded PDI Perjuangan Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri dismiss Jakob Tobing, who chairs the Assembly's ad hoc committee preparing the amendments, because he refused to stop amending the Constitution.

Jakob is a legislator of PDI Perjuangan at the House of Representatives and at the Assembly.

The demonstrators, who came from a variety of mass organizations under PDI Perjuangan, said the amendment had to be stopped because it was liable to conflicts that could jeopardize national unity.

Iwan Hendrawan, coordinator of the demonstration, said the MPR should not interfere with sensitive issues in the Constitution because such action could cause new conflict.

"The way the Assembly is drafting amendments to the Constitution has brought major changes to almost all its chapters. They are doing it without any historical consideration," he said.

He said Jakob should be replaced because he had bowed to the pressure of other parties in amending the Constitution.

Chairman of the Cirebon legislature Suryana pledged that he would channel their political demands to both Megawati and the Assembly.

Iwan and Suryana are PDI Perjuangan legislators at the Cirebon legislative council. -- JP