MPR vows to restore its tarnished image

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has acknowledged its past weaknesses and poor image, and has vowed to continue to empower itself so it can fight for democratization.

Leaders of the Assembly's Working Committee (BP MPR) said here Wednesday that the highest state institution had "realized" its faults of the past and was making changes to rectify its poor image.

"The Assembly has made important changes in order to improve its image and it is now much different from what it was in the past," Poedjono Pranjoto, newly elected chairman of the Assembly's Working Committee, said here on Wednesday. He was referring to the Assembly's rubber-stamp image under former president Soeharto's regime.

The Assembly's Working Committee in its plenary session on Wednesday elected Poedjono of the regional representatives faction as its new chairman, along with five new deputies from all factions.

The five deputies are Marzuki Darusman of the Golkar faction, Tosari Widjaya of the United Development Party faction, Maj. Gen. Achmad Roestandi of the Armed Forces faction, Ismunandar of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction and Liliek Hendradjaya of the regional representatives faction.

Poedjono said that a number of MPR members who were believed to have obtained their posts through collusive practices or nepotism had been replaced.

In addition, several Cabinet ministers of President B.J. Habibie's administration have also been removed from the Working Committee -- whose task will be to prepare for the special session of the People's Consultative Assembly in November.

The Working Committee is divided into two ad hoc committees: the first is in charge of preparing the general elections while the second is in charge of the agenda for the special session.

Both the Assembly and the House of Representatives were targets of fierce criticism for failing to represent the people and fight for their interests during Soeharto's era.

Liliek said: "The MPR is committed to reform and will not repeat the mistakes."

"The working committee and its ad hoc committees will work hard in the next 10 days to prepare 23 draft decrees to be discussed in the MPR special session," he added.

Following the working committee's plenary session, Ad Hoc Committee I elected Marwah Daud Ibrahim of the Golkar faction as its chairperson and Soerjadi Soedirdja of the regional representatives faction as deputy chairman. Ad Hoc Committee II elected Vice Adm. Widodo A.S. of the Armed Forces faction as its chairman and Slamet Effendy Yusuf of the Golkar faction as its deputy chairman.

Ad Hoc I committee will discuss 10 draft decrees, including one on general elections, while Ad Hoc II committee will discuss 13 draft decrees, including one on the agenda of the Assembly's general session.

Ismunandar called on the body's ad hoc committees to discuss all of the draft decrees and pass them all as a show of commitment to reform.

"The draft decrees were intentionally proposed by MPR factions as a means to channel people's aspirations. The image of the MPR is at stake here... People will have confidence in the MPR if it passes all of the draft decrees to be discussed in the Assembly's special session," he said.

Two proposed draft decrees order President B.J. Habibie to investigate former president Soeharto's wealth and that of his family, and bring him before the Assembly to give an account of his last term of presidency, from March 11 through May 21, and the May 14 riots that took place when he was still president. (rms)