PPP afraid of boots

PPP afraid of boots

JAKARTA (JP): Why did the United Development Party (PPP)
eventually accept President Soeharto's leadership accountability
speech before the final debate scheduled for Monday?

Journalists posed this question to M. Buang, one of the
Party's most senior and outspoken legislators yesterday, only to
find that the politician did not live up to his name.

"It (accepting the President's speech) is a better option than
having to bear the weight of their boots," he whispered, shaking
with laughter.

"What boots?" a reporter asked.

Buang stooped and touched his right shoe, saying "they're no
ordinary boots. You know they're the ones which are strong and
heavy," he grinned and left, stopping only to look back and smile
when a vocal reporter asked if he was insinuating that his party
had been pressured by the powerful Armed Forces faction in the
People's Consultative Assembly. (pan)