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)