PPP takes MPR to brink of vote

JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) legislators, in a show of stubborn politicking, have forced the other four factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to the brink of a vote following a hotly contested debate on the Armed Forces role in politics.

The minority party scored a significant political gain in the early hours of Friday by forcing the dominant Golkar and Armed Forces factions -- bolstered by the regional representatives and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) factions -- to consider morning whether to take a vote on whether they were going to vote on the contentious issue. As of 1 a.m. on Friday morning, the Commission had yet to take a stance.

Voting is virtually taboo in Indonesian politics and was unheard of during Soeharto's 32-year regime.

PPP members sitting on Assembly Commission A had from the beginning fought against a stipulation in the draft decree on general elections that would give the Armed Forces (ABRI) unelected seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) and regional legislatures.

The morning session of the Commission went as widely predicted, with the PPP arguing against a military presence in the legislatures. During the evening session, the often heated debate came to a head with the PPP demanding that a vote be taken on the issue by the 195-member commission.

The dominant Golkar faction then countered by insisting that the vote should take the form of an open body count. The PPP dug in deeper and demanded a secret ballot.

On the question of the military presence in the House of Representatives itself, Golkar was supported by the factions from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), the Armed Forces (ABRI) and the regional representatives.

Outside the Assembly building, a massive military cordon was reinforced following clashes between security personnel and students intent on marching to the Assembly.

Meeting of the five commissions were disrupted at around 8:15 p.m. on Thursday when word circulated that the DPR/MPR building was to be evacuated. Outside the building, tension rose as tens of thousands of students clashed with security personnel blocking their route to the Assembly.

Members of the Golkar faction actually left the compound, but they returned to the discussion tables later in the evening.

On Thursday, Commission B closed the day's deliberations in broad agreement that a stipulation requiring a referendum before amending the Constitution should be scrapped.

The PPP and the dominant Golkar were the most outspoken in their intention to introduce changes in the Constitution on, for instance, the president's status as the Armed Forces supreme commander.

Commission D, set up to deliberate on political economy and Commission E which is discussing establishment of a decree to protect human rights also concluded the day's business in agreement. Discussion of the draft decree on regional autonomy also proceeded smoothly.

A commission member who refused to be named commended the "good will of the decree", but said "there was still vested interests, emotion, and ignorance" among the legislators assigned to deal with it.

Factions in Commission C could not agree whether the Assembly should issue a separate draft decree ordering an investigation of former president Soeharto. They eventually decided to continue deliberating this question on Friday morning.

The commission's business was held up by the PPP, who insisted that a separate decree was necessary to drive the investigation into Soeharto. The other factions, particularly Golkar and the Armed Forces, insisted the existing decree on clean governance gave sufficient clout to government efforts to investigate corruption.

"There is no need to name anyone," Fachry Ali, a researcher and Golkar faction member said.

Separately, Amien Rais said on Thursday evening that he and the other three reform leaders -- Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X -- were arranging a meeting with the MPR leadership in order to deliver their recent declaration on the military's political role and on President B.J. Habibie's administration in person.

"The four of us plan to submit our good will to the Assembly," he said as quoted by Antara.

Amien, who is acting as the group's spokesman, said he was confident that the Assembly would accept their input because "there are some members who are rational and progressive."

He named Golkar legislator Marzuki Darusman, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Armed Forces and Faisal Baasir of PPP as being among these progressive individuals.

Speaking about the massive and prolonged student demonstrations here on Thursday, Amien expressed suspicion that "certain parties are seeking to seize power by keeping conflicts alive and causing chaos."

"I strongly suspect this, but I don't want to name names," he said.

He said he could not understand why armed volunteer security guards were still roaming the streets on Thursday after having supposedly been disbanded by the police. "They have proven to be the source of chaos and physical conflict among the children of this nation."

"I condemn the use of religious symbols in demonstrations. They have to be condemned by us all," he said, adding that the "parties who deserve greater condemnation are those who engineer (the chaos and use of religious symbols) ... don't let us be trapped into this destructive 'destroy all' politics."

He also urged that a campaign against corruption, collusion and nepotism should begin in the top layer of society. "Just like cleaning up the house, you start from the top and work down," he said. (team)