Military must quit political arena: Observer

Military must quit political arena: Observer

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will never become a democratic country
unless the Armed Forces (ABRI) withdraws from the national
political stage, an outspoken retired general said.

"ABRI's pullout from politics is an absolute requirement for
democracy. Indonesia will become democratic only if the military
pulls out of politics," retired Lt. Gen. Hasnan Habib said in a
discussion on political laws organized by Antara news agency here
on Thursday.

The discussion, attended by political parties, political
observers and legislators, focused on a fair and free general
election and the allotment of 38 nonelected seats for the Armed
Forces in the House of Representatives.

According to the new political laws, ABRI will receive 38
seats in the House and 10 percent of elected seats in provincial
and regency legislatures.

ABRI has been the target of fierce criticism over its
performance and its role in social and political affairs.

Hasnan said that ABRI should no longer be represented in the
House because seats should be reserved for legislators elected
through the general election as stipulated in the 1945
Constitution.

He said that although the House finally agreed on 38 seats for
ABRI, no more seats should be given to ABRI after the next House
ends its session in 2004.

He also said that no matter how strong the reform movement
appeared to be, it was not powerful enough to phase out the
military's presence in the House. "The evidence can be seen in
the new Law No. 4/1999 granting 38 seats to ABRI," he said.

He said that military officers should no longer be given jobs
in the government and bureaucracy unless they "took off their
uniforms".

"Democracy cannot develop here partly because many positions
in the administration, such as governors, regents, mayors,
ministers and other jobs in governmental agencies and
departments, are still dominated by the military," he said.

Hasnan, also a former envoy to the United States of America,
said that Indonesia had long been seen by the international
community as being under a military regime.

"That is why many democratic countries have criticized the
poor development of democracy in Indonesia," he said.

Transition

Meanwhile, another speaker, Eep Saefulloh Fatah, said that
given the hurried preparations for the upcoming poll, the public
should not expect too much from the government which would be
formed after the elections.

The new government will function as a transitional government
in charge of developing policies during its five-year term, the
political observer from the University of Indonesia said.

He said the next House should make new political laws because
the newly endorsed ones were illegitimate, unaccountable and not
representative.

"The political laws are unaccountable because they were made
in a hasty manner; illegitimate because they were made by an
illegitimate government and legislators; and not representative
because new political parties were not involved in their
deliberation," he said.

Eep, a researcher at the Republika daily, asserted that the
next government would not receive wide public acceptance, citing
the possibility of fraud in the upcoming elections, among other
things.

However, a legislator with the United Development Party,
Aisyah Amini, who heads the House commission on defense and
security, rejected the idea that the next government would be
"transitional".

Despite shortcomings, the next government will be a legitimate
government because it will be chosen through free and fair
elections, she said.

Eep agreed with other speakers, saying ABRI's continued
presence in politics hampered the development of democracy in the
country.

"I believe democracy will grow if ABRI stays out of
politics," he said.

He said that ABRI should not be represented in the House or
provincial and regency legislatures. "If they want they can have
their representatives in the MPR (People's Consultative
Assembly)," he said.

Aisyah said it was impossible for ABRI to be democratic
because its members were forced to obey commands.

Aisyah pointed out that the United Development Party was the
only House faction which opposed the military's presence in the
House and provincial and regency legislatures.

"It's strange to think that ABRI legislators can represent the
people while the Constitution says that all legislators are
elected, not appointed, through general elections," she said.

The discussion was attended by representatives of some of the
newly formed political parties, including the Masyumi Baru Party,
the National Mandate Party and the Indonesian Democratic Alliance
Party. Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party were also
represented at the discussion.

Speakers said that ABRI should be able to maintain security
and end all forms of violence ahead of the general election
scheduled for June 7.

They said political and economic conditions in the country
would deteriorate if the elections were not a success. (rms)