PDI-P changes stance on PKI
PDI-P changes stance on PKI
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
removed the only potential hurdle for a smooth Assembly session
on Sunday by withdrawing its proposal to repeal a decree banning
the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the dissemination of
communism, Marxism and Leninism teachings in the country.
PDI Perjuangan's about-face was made public at the preliminary
hearing of the People's Consultative Assembly Commission B in
charge of identifying decrees to be repealed in the current
Assembly session.
"In order to ease debate, we are ready and willing to withdraw
our proposal (to revoke the banning of the PKI)," PDI Perjuangan
spokesman I Gede Sudibya said at the hearing on Sunday.
The statement drew applause from legislators attending the
hearing.
PDI Perjuangan legislator Permadi said after the hearing that
the faction withdrew its proposal in order to avoid voting on the
issue.
PDI Perjuangan, the largest faction in the MPR, had been
steadfast in its proposal to repeal an MPR decree issued in 1966
that outlawed the PKI and banned the dissemination of information
on communism, Marxism and Leninism after the 1965 abortive coup.
Following the failed coup blamed on the PKI, hundreds of
thousands of suspected PKI members and their family members were
killed in waves of violent vengeance against the party.
Relatives of alleged PKI members were also discriminated
against for more than three decades under the leadership of iron-
fisted Soeharto, who effectively became president after Sukarno
signed a decree giving him executive power to restore peace and
order in the attempted coup's aftermath.
The executive power is known as Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret
or the March 11 Executive Order, also known as Super Semar.
At Sunday's hearing, all factions agreed that the ban on the
PKI and the dissemination of communism, Marxism and Leninism
teachings must be maintained.
They, however, emphasized that discrimination against family
members or relatives of suspected former PKI members must be
ended. They did not say how.
Spokesman for the military and police faction Djasrie Marin
said on Sunday that the nation must not waver in its ban on the
PKI and communism.
PDI Perjuangan also demanded that several decrees relating to
founding president Sukarno be repealed in a show of goodwill to
rehabilitate the image of Sukarno.
Other factions, however, rejected the proposal, arguing that
there was no need to rehabilitate Sukarno's name as he was
already remembered as a prominent father of the nation.
MPR decrees relating to Sukarno include on the Super Semar to
Soeharto and a decree on the revocation of Sukarno's presidency.
The 11 factions in the Assembly remain divided on other MPR
decrees.
The Regional Representatives faction (FUD) is the only faction
that insisted on maintaining an MPR decree on the implementation
of regional autonomy.
Other factions demanded that the decree be repealed because
regulations on regional autonomy were clearly mentioned in the
amended Constitution and regional autonomy laws.
Regarding the legal status of MPR decrees, the Annual Session
proposed to classify 139 decrees issued between 1960 and 2002
into eight groups.
The first group is for decrees to be repealed, the second for
decrees to be repealed with conditions, the third for decrees
declared effective with conditions, the fourth for decrees
declared effective until the setting up of a new government in
2004, the fifth for decrees declared effective until the
enactment of laws, the sixth for decrees declared effective until
the enactment of new Assembly internal regulations, the seventh
for decrees considered to be equal to laws, and the eight for
decrees considered effective at the time of endorsement.
Of the total 139 decrees, 12 decrees remain unsolved,
providing reason for factions to debate.
Unsettled decrees
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No Decrees Issue
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1. No.XV/MPR/1998 Regional Autonomy
2. No.IX/MPRS/1966 Super Semar
3. No.XXXIII/MPRS/1967 Revocation of Sukarno's power
4. No.XLIII/MPRS/1968 Explanation of Super Semar
5. No.XXV/MPRS/1966 Ban on PKI, communism
6. No.XI/MPR/1998 Clean Government
7. No.XVI/MPR/1998 Economic Democracy
8. No.VIII/MPR/2001 Recommendation for Corruption
Eradication
9. No.XXIX/MPRS/1966 Inauguration of Ampera Heroes
10. No.V/MPR/2000 National Unity
11. No.VI/MPR/2001 Nationhood Ethics
12. No.VII/MPR/2001 Indonesia's Vision
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Source: Assembly's Annual Session