PPP sticks to its guns on ABRI's House membership

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) faction in the People's Consultative Assembly defended on Friday its proposal to abolish the Armed Forces' (ABRI) representation in the House of Representatives.

PPP Assembly faction chairman Faisal Baasir said his party had strong grounds to challenge ABRI's representation in the House.

"The PPP faction's opposition to ABRI's House representation is meant to fully and purely implement the 1945 Constitution," Faisal said in a press statement.

Faisal, also the PPP treasurer, said the Armed Forces' presence in the House was part and parcel of the Guided Democracy established by founding president Sukarno's Old Order regime.

"The nation has agreed that Guided Democracy was a violation of the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution," he said.

He argued the legislative body was a forum for the people's representatives, so its members should be elected rather than appointed.

Faisal was strongly protesting Deputy House/Assembly Speaker Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno of the Armed Forces who said in a recent television talk show that PPP's stance on ABRI's House representation was only a maneuver to gain support ahead of next year's general election.

"PPP does not have any political interest in its opposition to ABRI's presence in the House. But, it was mainly for the sake of pure implementation of the Constitution," he added.

Hari said during the show organized by the National Mandate Party (PAN) on Oct. 5 that the PPP was only seeking sympathy now that many of its members had abandoned it and joined PAN and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Hari said during the show: "What's ironic was that fellow legislators from PPP stubbornly spoke against (ABRI representation in the House). When we asked why, (they) said that it was for political reasons. Just to seek support, because PPP has seen (its membership) eroded, (with many people) joining PAN, joining PKB.

"They are confused, they want to continue to exist, and talk is cheap," Hari said.

Faisal said Hari's statement was baseless and interference in the party's internal affairs. He also demanded that Hari retract his remark and publicly apologize for it.

Former PPP chairman Jaelani Naro announced on Friday his readiness to join the race for the party's chairmanship at the party congress in December this year.

He was quoted by Antara as saying that his decision was prompted by the requests of many of his supporters in a number of party branches and chapters.

"Because the nation is experiencing both an economic and political crisis, some PPP cadres want me to again lead the party. They came and asked for my willingness to be nominated in the election," he said.

He refused to name the chapters or the branches.

Naro is a veteran PPP politician who made a name for himself when, in the 1988 general session of the People's Consultative Assembly, he challenged Soeharto's candidate Sudharmono in the vice presidential election. He was reduced to tears when all factions in the Assembly pressured him to back down.

Asked whether he would now move further and run for the presidency if he becomes PPP chairman in December, Naro said he was not yet sure.

"What I have in mind is that I want to meet the PPP cadres' request that I lead the party again," he said. (imn)