Poll schedule to be set at end of year
Poll schedule to be set at end of year
JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR)
Harmoko yesterday shot down hopes for snap elections, saying that
an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) to set a poll date would not be held until the end of the
year.
Harmoko said time was needed to review the country's five
political laws, which include the electoral laws, before an
election could be called.
"To set the schedule for a general election, an extraordinary
session of the MPR is needed. This extraordinary session could be
held at the end of 1998 or early in 1999," Harmoko said.
"Time would be needed to acquaint the public with the new
electoral system and election participants based on the new
election law," he added.
Harmoko spoke to journalists following a one-hour meeting with
President B.J. Habibie at the House of Representatives building.
Since Soeharto's resignation, opposition leaders have been
demanding that the Assembly hold an extraordinary session and
that polls be quickly held to elect a new president and vice
president.
There was clearly some discontent yesterday at the prospect of
having to wait until next year for elections.
Leading opposition figure Amien Rais questioned the
announcement and called on the Assembly to first clarify the
objective of an extraordinary session.
"It would be too dangerous if an extraordinary session is
meant merely to strengthen the status quo, set up by Pak Harto's
cronies," said the chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah
Moslem organization.
He asserted that the session should be used only to revoke the
1998 MPR decree stipulating that the next poll would be held in
2002.
Amien said that during a meeting with Habibie over the
weekend, the President had agreed to hold elections in six to 12
months.
Nurcholish Madjid also expressed some dissatisfaction, warning
that a delay in setting the poll date would not boost
international confidence in the current government.
"I think the most waited for thing is the time schedule, when
precisely the polls will be held," he said after a meeting with
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Asia-Pacific Director Hubert
Neiss.
The meeting yesterday between House leaders and Habibie was
held exactly one-week after Habibie was sworn in as President
replacing Soeharto.
It was the first meeting Habibie held with House leaders since
being sworn in.
Habibie was accompanied by his four coordinating ministers and
Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung, while Harmoko was
flanked by his deputies Ismail Hasan Metareum of the United
Development Party (PPP), Abdul Gafur of Golkar and Fatimah Achmad
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Also present were
several faction leaders.
Harmoko said the House had formed a team, the Producers of
National Legislation (Prolegnas), to review the five political
laws -- which cover mass organizations, the role of the House and
the Assembly, political parties, regional administrations and
elections -- on which the current political system is based.
Harmoko said the team would work closely with the government
to expedite the new laws so it could be ready before the MPR
extraordinary session.
When reporters pressed him to disclose a more exact timeframe
for elections, Harmoko replied that his meeting did not discuss a
specific schedule, only means for "the acceleration of the new
poll".
Harmoko also balked at suggestions that the MPR would accede
to widely voiced demands that it also seek Soeharto's
accountability.
The House speaker maintained that the session would only focus
on election issues.
"The MPR agenda is to revoke, change and draw up several
decrees related to the election," Harmoko said.
Officials initially indicated that Habibie himself would also
address journalists along with Harmoko. However, the 80
journalists eagerly waiting near the main hall were disappointed
when the President was quickly chauffeured away.
"The plan was canceled merely for protocol reasons," an
official said. (swe/imn/prb)