Sacking of Bintang defended

Sacking of Bintang defended

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers defending President Soeharto against a
lawsuit filed by Sri Bintang Pamungkas said yesterday that the
head of state was within his constitutional right when he removed
the politician from the House of Representatives.

The lawyers told the Jakarta State Administrative Court that
the President was merely "formalizing" a decision made by the
United Development Party (PPP) to have Bintang removed from the
House.

They added that Bintang, who filed the lawsuit with the court
to have the dismissal reversed, should have filed the lawsuit
against PPP leaders and not the President.

The lawyers representing the President are H.V.A. Lumempouw,
H.M. Adenan, Asril Rivai, and Irdan Dahlan. Their statement was
read by judge Sudarto Radyo Suwarno, who is trying the case.

They argued that since the law empowers the President to
install and dismiss members of the House of Representatives, then
the decree to remove Bintang was constitutional.

Bintang lost his seat last May after he fell out of favor with
his party leaders for continually speaking out against the
government and the military. The politician is contesting his
removal, saying that he was elected by the people in the 1992
elections.

The trial is one of three legal battles the former legislator
is fighting against the government. Another lawsuit filed by
Bintang to have a foreign travel ban against him lifted is
proceeding at the same court.

The third suit, which begins tomorrow at the Central Jakarta
District court, was filed by the government against Bintang on
charges of insulting the President.

At yesterday's trial, Bintang was represented by lawyers from
the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation Adnan Buyung Nasution, Maqdir
Ismail, Bambang Widjojanto, and Nur Amalia. (imn)