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)