Public figures racing to resign in reform fever

Public figures racing to resign in reform fever

JAKARTA (JP): The campaign against nepotism is gaining
momentum with public figures now racing to quit various executive
or legislative posts they might not have obtained without
familial connections.

Ilham Habibie, the son of President B.J. Habibie, resigned
from his post as assistant to chief of the Agency for the
Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), which he
obtained when his father headed the agency. He followed in the
footsteps of his uncle, Junus Effendi Habibie, who quit over the
weekend from his post as head of the Batam Industrial Development
Authority.

Junus took over the Batam job from President Habibie a little
more than two months ago when the latter was appointed the
country's vice president.

Separately, Minister of Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wiranto said yesterday that his wife, Uga Wiranto, and daughter,
Amalia Sianti Wiranto, have resigned from their posts as members
of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) from the Golkar
faction.

Uga and Amalia joined Lilik Herawaty, a member of the House of
Representatives (DPR), who resigned over the weekend from her
position. Lilik is the third daughter of Alip Pandoyo, the
chairman of the Central Java legislative council as well as a
Golkar leader in the province.

Golkar deputy chairman R. Agung Laksono, who is also the state
minister of youth affairs and sports, showed off his political
organization's intent to flush out those recruited by so-called
nepotistic practices.

Many of the House members, who are automatically MPR members,
were chosen because of their links with officials or others in
power. Among MPR members are former president Soeharto's children
and children-in-law, including Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, Bambang
Trihatmodjo, Hutomo Mandala Putra, Halimah Bambang Trihatmodjo
and Siti Hediati Prabowo.

"It is better for Golkar legislators in the House to
voluntarily resign rather than to be formally asked to do so,"
Agung said yesterday.

He said Golkar would issue a formal motion if legislators who
obtained their posts through nepotistic practices, ignored the
general call.

The House statute says that legislators who resign, will be
replaced by fellow members from their own political
organizations.

Agung said Golkar was determined to cleanse itself of
corruption, collusion and nepotism in line with the demand for
total reform.

Constitutional law expert Sri Soemantri called on the
President to reshuffle the MPR and DPR as the first step in the
nation's reform program.

"Here, Habibie's goodwill and his political will is tested. He
could set up a reform body at the MPR and DPR to eliminate
corruption, collusion and nepotism in the two state
institutions," he said at a seminar at the Catholic university of
Atmajaya here yesterday. (prb/rms)