MPR body commits to clean governance

MPR body commits to clean governance

JAKARTA (JP): Factions in the Ad Hoc Committee II of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have all endorsed the draft
special decree on the eradication of corruption, collusion and
nepotism.

The chairman, Widodo A.S., said the committee realized that
former president Soeharto's 32-year rule was marked by rampant
corruption, collusion and nepotism, and said "such practices must
be ended so the next government can start with a clean slate."

"All factions are of the same opinion that all forms of
corruption, collusion and nepotism must be eradicated and that
the next government must be free from such practices," he said
here on Tuesday.

The draft decree was proposed by the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) faction and has won the support of the other factions
in the committee, he said.

"All (five MPR) factions have been accommodating public
aspirations in this era of reform and acknowledge that such
practices have caused the people to suffer," he said, adding that
the issue of clean governance would be addressed in a special
decree.

Ekky Syachruddin of the Golkar faction said that all state
institutions, including the House of Representatives (DPR), the
Supreme Court and the Supreme Audit Agency should improve
supervisory systems in order to help eliminate corruption.

Widodo said the committee has also agreed to a proposed decree
on human rights protection. "Such a decree is urgently needed
because of rampant violations of human rights in the past," he
said.

He said his committee had agreed to revoke the current State
Policy Guidelines and replace them with what he called the
Guidelines of Development Reform. The latter, he said, would
prevail from the MPR special session beginning on Nov. 10 until
the next General Session of the MPR in December 1999.

"The new document is expected to be far thinner than the
current guidelines and will outline a one year program of reform
in political, economic and cultural spheres," he said.

Golkar's Fadel Muhammad said his faction would propose that
the new guidelines include details of a new economic system under
which indigenous businesspeople are granted special privileges.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee I
ended in deadlock after a discussion of draft decrees on former
president Soeharto's accountability and on the investigation into
his wealth and his family's fortune.

The Armed Forces (ABRI), Golkar and Regional Representatives
factions were against the draft decrees on the two matters
proposed by the PDI and United Development Party (PPP) factions.

It was the second time the committee's meetings have ended in
deadlock. The first was when the committee failed to reach
agreement on a draft decree proposing the separation of the MPR
and DPR's leadership on Monday.

Golkar, ABRI and the Regional Representatives factions agreed
that Soeharto should be made to provide an account of his two-
months in office from March 11 until May 21, 1998, but said it
would be enough for Soeharto to write a speech to be read out by
President B.J. Habibie during the special session.

However, Ismunandar of the PDI faction said Soeharto himself
should deliver his accountability speech.

He said that Soeharto should be held responsible for incidents
that occurred between March 11 and May 21.

Incidents during that period include the shooting of four
Trisakti University students on May 14, the subsequent wave of
riots that engulfed the country, and the week-long student
occupation of the MPR/DPR building in the same month.

He said the MPR should also pass a decree ordering Habibie's
government to investigate the wealth of Soeharto, his cronies and
all officials suspected of involvement in corrupt activities
during Soeharto's 32-year administration.

Chozin Chumaidy of the PPP faction said that Soeharto should
deliver an accountability speech during the special session
because it was required by the 1945 Constitution.

He said his faction was of the opinion that Soeharto's
resignation was unconstitutional because it did not take place
before a MPR session or the Supreme Court. (rms)