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)