Outspoken House member Bintang formally sacked

Outspoken House member Bintang formally sacked

JAKARTA (JP): As news of his sacking from the House of
Representatives (DPR) emerged yesterday, legislator Sri Bintang
Pamungkas promised he would continue his fight as an "opposition"
to the government.

The outspoken legislator of the Moslem-based United
Development Party (PPP) said he had not been formally informed of
President Soeharto's approval of his party's proposal that he be
removed from the House.

Bintang said that he was not concerned about that, however.

"I looked for a letter notifying me of my dismissal -- at the
DPR and at home -- but could not find one," he told The Jakarta
Post last night. "I don't care. I said goodbye to the DPR long
ago."

He vowed to continue his position as a critic of the
government, saying that he saw his future activities as a crusade
against wrongdoings.

"This is jihad," he said, using the Islamic term for "holy
war".

The long-expected formal dismissal of Bintang from the DPR was
effected over the weekend.

President Soeharto signed a decree approving Bintang's
dismissal on Saturday, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum told
reporters in Jayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya, on Sunday.

Ismail Hasan announced that party leaders had chosen
Hadimulyo, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),
to take up the DPR seat left vacant by Bintang's dismissal.

While saying that he accepted the dismissal, Bintang
questioned yesterday the President's power to fire legislators,
saying that House members were the elected representatives of the
people, the source of all authority.

"I see the President's decision to sign the party's proposal
for my dismissal as simply an administrative procedure," he said.
"By signing that proposal, the President (clarified) matters
concerning my name at the DPR or my salary."

The PPP leadership filed a request with the House leadership
in February that Bintang be removed, alleging that he had
offended a number of cabinet ministers during DPR hearings, that
he had undermined the state ideology, Pancasila, and that he had
criticized the Armed Forces regarding both its political and
defense roles.

House Speaker Wahono and his deputies endorsed the PPP's
handling of Bintang's case and passed on the request to President
Soeharto. The final decision came last weekend.

Bintang, who is a member of the House commission overseeing
state budget affairs, said farewell at a hearing with Minister of
Finance Mar'ie Muhammad in March, although his dismissal had not
yet been approved by the President at the time.

"I have to bid you goodbye because the state of politics in
this country is like this ... and I hope they don't reverse their
intention to fire me," he said.

The Armed Forces recently accused Bintang of involvement in a
series of anti-Soeharto demonstrations in Germany last month. He
has already been questioned by police over the incident, although
so far he has not been charged. Bintang has denied the
allegations.

The legislator visited the Attorney General's Office yesterday
to ask that a recently-imposed ban on his traveling overseas be
lifted.

"I need to go the United States on May 13, because my daughter
will be graduating," he said.

Bintang said he would remain active in politics, and would
pursue his plan to establish a new political party.

"I would stand in opposition, offering alternatives to the
government," he said, adding that if the government ignored his
"alternatives", he would seek public support for his policies.

"Becoming an opposition and seeking people's support is not
wrong, a taboo or a sin," he said. "There are people who think
that whenever someone disagrees with the government, it means
that he is against the government."

Ismail Hasan and other party leaders have repeatedly assured
the public that the party would not be any the worse off for
firing Bintang. "It's our decision to dismiss him, so why should
we miss him?" Ismail Hasan said.

Zain Badjeber told the Post that Bintang's dismissal was an
"ordinary thing" and that the party leaders did not have to hold
any further meetings concerning Bintang's case.

"Everything's settled already," he said. (swe)