Mega's party wants to see Soeharto stand trial
Tiarma Siboro, Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) wants to see ex-dictator Soeharto stand trial before President Megawati Soekarnoputri considers pardoning him.
PDIP secretary general Sutjipto called on Megawati, who is also party chief, not to close her eyes to public aspirations for justice.
"Taking Soeharto to court would show that the government stands by its commitment to combat corruption," Sutjipto said in a media conference.
Megawati's plans to drop Soeharto's corruption case on health and humanitarian grounds have sparked controversy. Advocates applaud the idea but critics warn that it would amount to a government betrayal of law enforcement and political reforms.
But PDIP officials admitted that bringing Soeharto to trial would not be easy because officials and politicians loyal to him still controlled the judicial system and other key state institutions.
"Only the ministerial and director general levels have seen changes in personnel. The court is still dominated by New Order supporters," said Mangara Siahaan, a party deputy chairman.
In its year-end review, PDIP urged the Attorney General's Office to focus on high profile cases such as those involving officials of state oil company Pertamina in the Balongan refinery project, the Central Bank loans scandal and the misappropriation of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) nonbudgetary funds.
In a related development, the government said on Thursday that Megawati had yet to decide anything concrete on the future of Soeharto's US$517 million corruption case.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after attending a cabinet meeting that his trial remained suspended because of the former strongman's serious illness.
Susilo also added his voice to the raging debate about how the President had arrived at the idea of pardoning Soeharto.
He recalled that Megawati last week asked several ministers, including himself and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, for their input on how best to handle Soeharto.
The ministers offered three options: first, drop his case; second, resume legal proceedings against him, and third, leave things as they were now, to take account of Soeharto's health problems.
Soeharto has been undergoing treatment at Pertamina Hospital since Dec. 17, 2001. Doctors claimed his condition had improved slightly although he remained critical.