PPP takes MPR to brink of vote

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)