'Military will be gone from DPR by 2004'

'Military will be gone from DPR by 2004'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid has
expressed confidence that there will be no Armed Forces (ABRI)
appointees sitting in the House of Representatives (DPR) by 2004.

"I predict that ABRI will no longer be in the House five years
from now," Syarwan told reporters during a media conference at
the House. He was commenting on an agreement reached by House
factions which gives the military 38 unelected seats in the DPR.
The agreement was reached after the United Development Party
(PPP) dropped its insistence that the military be restricted to
15 unelected seats.

He said that if the Armed Forces were reduced to a small
number of legislators it would be better for it to abandon the
House altogether and concentrate on improving professionalism
within its ranks.

"The Armed Forces political role will cease," said Syarwan,
who is a former Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs and
Aceh military commander.

Syarwan said the agreement advanced a decision taken during
the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),
which voted for a gradual reduction of the military's presence in
the House.

He pointed out that 38 seats was a 50 percent reduction on the
75 seats which the military currently holds.

In November, opposition figures called on the government to
phase out the Armed Forces' involvement in politics within six
years.

A number of observers expressed dissatisfaction with the
decision on Wednesday.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) said that 38 seats were 38
too many.

Secretary-general Faisal Basri said that his party was deeply
dissatisfied with the outcome. "We deplore the decision," he said
as quoted by Antara.

He argued that by accepting unelected seats in the House, the
military was breaking its commitment not to dominate developments
in the country.

"General Wiranto must be aware that the total number of ABRI
members tied up in the House and in provincial and regional
legislative councils will run into the thousands, while ABRI only
has around 500,000 personnel spread across the whole country," he
said.

"Please think about how the people will feel," he pleaded.

Faisal said PAN believed 15 unelected military members would
suffice, adding that they should not be entitled to voting rights
because of their unelected status.

Separately, Gadjah Mada University researcher Muhadjir
Darwinin said the decision reflected the disadvantage civilian
politicians find themselves at during negotiations with the
military.

"Civilian politicians have a weak bargaining position," he
said.

He expressed hope that the military's continued presence in
the House would help the drive for democracy rather than hamper
it. (23/29)