Moerdiono joins 'clobber' debate

Moerdiono joins 'clobber' debate

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's threat to "clobber" anyone
attempting to unconstitutionally unseat him should serve as a
warning to potential lawbreakers, Minister/State Secretary
Moerdiono said yesterday.

"Pressing for political aspirations through undemocratic and
unconstitutional means is against our legal and constitutional
system. The President's remarks were a warning against those
wanting to try to bring him down illegally," Moerdiono said.

He said Soeharto's statement was part of his duty to make sure
law and the 1945 Constitution are upheld.

"President Soeharto was sworn-in to uphold the laws and the
constitution. It is his job to take action against any
unconstitutional efforts to disturb the nation's stability and
order," he said.

President Soeharto triggered the debate last week when he
visited the Central Java town of Boyolali to inaugurate a haj
dormitory. In a dialog with prospective haj pilgrims, he said he
would not hesitate to clobber anyone attempting to unseat him
illegally.

Moerdiono said the President's statement was not the first to
remind people of the constitutional way to play politics.

"President Soeharto has, since the beginning of his terms of
office in the late 1960's, repeatedly called for people to abide
by the constitution," he said.

Soeharto's warning was his second warning. The first was
issued on his way home from a trip to Eastern Europe in 1989.

Asked whether there were signs of any unconstitutional
attempts to disrupt national stability and order, Moerdiono said
the President had obtained much information on the latest
political developments.

"President Soeharto has many sources of information on the
country's political situation," he said.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
Soesilo Soedarman said the President's statement did not suggest
the government would take the law into his hand in disciplining
lawbreakers.

"The government will always stick to the prevailing laws. We
will not arbitrarily clobber anyone suspected of breaking laws,"
Soesilo said after chairing a National Oceanic Council plenary
meeting yesterday.

He supported other officials' theory that the President's
statement was to warn those flirting with the idea of trying to
topple the government illegally.

"We will definitely take harsh action against them," he said.

But Soesilo refused to say if the government had a list of
people it was watching. (imn)