MPR vows to restore its tarnished image

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)