'People's leadership team' to push demands for reform

JAKARTA (JP): Vocal government critic Amien Rais warned yesterday that a coalition of leading public figures, or a "people's leadership team", would be formed by the end of the month to push demands for reform.

"Just you wait and see sometime around May 20 and afterward," he told an enthusiastic crowd of over 1,000 at Jami Attaqwa Mosque in Bintaro Jaya, South Jakarta, yesterday.

"There will be about 30 or 40 public figures from various elements of society who will be demanding numerous improvements in the economic and political life of Indonesia," he said as quoted by Antara.

Amien did not mention who would be included on the team nor list the concrete measures it would take.

The chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization is known as a strong critic of the government and has even named himself as a presidential candidate.

He has said several times that he is ready to lead the nation if it wished to assume a new leadership.

Amien expressed some doubt yesterday that the current government could successfully move forward.

He metaphorically said the government was "stagnant" just like water in a drainage pipe.

"Just water stagnates in a sewer, that's how we are now. Being stagnant like that, the water only collects disease. That's why it has to flow," he said to an emphatic crowd which immediately shouted approval.

Amien promised to approach and "knock on the hearts" of government leaders so they would truly appreciate the hardships felt by the people.

Speaking of the wave of student demonstrations which recently claimed their first victims, Amien pleaded for security forces not to employ harsh measures against the students.

Amien displayed some compassion for the enlisted men assigned to deal with demonstrators on a daily basis, saying he understood that they were only following orders.

"But if you ask them on a personal basis, the soldiers in the field are also having a difficult time just like the people," he remarked, adding that students too must not resort to violence in getting their demands heard.

Separately, some 45 government critics, grouped in the Kelompok 28 Oktober (October 28 group), also called for the establishment of a national committee to coordinate all forces in implementing comprehensive reform.

Mrs. Supeni, representing the critics, told journalists here yesterday that the committee should comprise all factions in society and that "the national committee is also expected to conduct a dialog with the President on the reform agenda".

Mrs. Supeni, also chairwomen of the New Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI Baru), said the key for the reform was in Soeharto's hands.

"It is not relevant now whether the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) holds an extraordinary session or not, but if Soeharto bows to the students' demands there will be no more problem. And the reform agenda will go on," she said.

The critics, who signed a declaration in the meeting yesterday, rejected the accountability speech delivered by Soeharto at the MPR General Session in March and MPR's decision to reappoint Soeharto to a seventh term of office and to appoint BJ Habibie as vise president.

"The two decisions were not valid since the MPR members do not truly represent the people. Only a small number of the MPR members elected through the general election last year are valid," said Ali Sadikin, the staunchest government critic of the Petisi 50 Group.

Among critics signing the declaration were Mrs Supeni, former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, former secretary for development operations Solichin GP, Sabam Sirait, former industry minister Mashuri, Abdul Madjid, Chris Key Timu, the latter two of the Petisi 50 Group.

Sadikin, a retired marine corps lieutenant general, said the group supported the students' movement for reform, including new national leadership, because the New Order administration had too long abused the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

"In 1967, Soeharto launched a total correction against the Old Order government under late president Sukarno, and now students demand total political reform toward violations against the constitution," he said.

Solichin, also a retired Army lieutenant general, said he joined the government critics group because the government and its political system had failed to achieve the national development's objectives.

"We have carried out the development program for 32 years and all natural resources have been exploited for it, but many people are still living below the poverty line and many others are still poor," he said. (rms/mds)