PPP take steps to initiate firing Sri Bintang

PPP take steps to initiate firing Sri Bintang

JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum yesterday initiated the process to have one of his legislators removed from the House of Representatives.

Ismail Hasan, popularly known as Buya, said he presented a letter to House Speaker Wahono suggesting a "consultation" about the firing of Sri Bintang Pamungkas.

By regulation, a party can only "recall" one of its legislators after consulting with the House leaders and with the approval of President Soeharto.

Technically, the House Speaker can deny the request if it is in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the House and to prevent parties from arbitrarily dismissing members.

Buya, who is also one of the House's deputy speakers, said yesterday that he hoped to have the meeting with Wahono after the Idul Fitri holiday.

He defended the United Development Party (PPP) action to remove Bintang saying that the legislator had done irreparable damage to the party by questioning the validity of Pancasila, the state ideology.

This is a principle matter, he told reporters.

"We have given a lot of thought to this issue," Buya said. "All the party leaders agree that Bintang's questioning of Pancasila was unacceptable behavior."

There were similarities between the PPP handling of Bintang's dismissal and the efforts of Golkar, the dominant faction in the House, to remove its legislator Bambang Warih Koesoemo.

PPP announced its intention on Monday before discussing it with Wahono. Golkar made a similar announcement last month only to be admonished by Wahono because the proposal should have been discussed with the House leaders before being made public.

Wahono sat on Golkar's letter for two weeks before deciding to pass it on to Soeharto, with some additional notes.

A report by the Kompas daily newspaper yesterday suggested that President Soeharto, in his capacity as chief patron of Golkar, have approved the plan to fire Bambang.

Buya yesterday denied accusations that PPP was firing Bintang because of pressures from the government.

He said the major consideration in firing Bintang was his persistent questioning of Pancasila in various forums.

He cited the example of Bintang, at a seminar, asking "whether Pancasila could increase the salary of teachers."

Buya confirmed that Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs Soesilo Soedarman had earlier sent a letter to the PPP leadership making an inquiry about Bintang's behavior.

The letter strengthened PPP's decision to fire Bintang, but it was not a determining factor, he said.

Buya also denied that Bintang's dismissal was connected to the heated argument the legislator had with Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad during a DPR hearing last month.

During the hearing, Mar'ie took particular offense at Bintang's accusation that he had threatened the press. Bintang persisted with his accusation, and the incident was duly reported to Ismail Hasan.

Buya yesterday said that the incident had to do with ethics, but that they also had other reasons for firing Bintang.

Asked if he plans to summon Bintang, Buya responded: "What's the use?" He said Bintang had already been warned on a number of occasions in the past about his behavior.

Bintang, who was awarded a House seat after helping PPP in the 1992 election campaign, has accused the party's leaders of succumbing to government pressures to have him fired.

He said he was ready to quit the party in any case because he did not see PPP as an independent party. (29)