Safeguard MPR session: President
Safeguard MPR session: President
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie instructed the Indonesian
Military (TNI) and the National Police to step up security
precautions for the upcoming General Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), Minister of Information Muhammad
Yunus said on Wednesday.
He said the President ordered Minister of Defense and
Security/TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto and National Police Chief
Gen. Roesmanhadi to concentrate troops around the House of
Representatives (DPR)/MPR compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
The minister said the President also asked the military chief
to deploy troops around the hotels where the 700 MPR members will
stay during the General Session.
"To safeguard the MPR General Session, an operation coded
Martabrata VI, will be launched, involving 17,957 police and
15,000 TNI personnel," Yunus said after attending an eight-hour
Cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.
The new DPR/MPR members are scheduled to be inducted on Oct.
1, while the MPR General Session is slated to be held sometime in
November.
The session will elect a new president and vice president, and
formulate the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN). Habibie has
indicated that he would like to run for another five-year
presidential term.
During the MPR Special Session last November, the military
deployed about 80,000 troops. They were also assisted by about
125,000 armed civilian militiamen (Pamswakarsa), the deployment
of which stirred controversy for weeks.
On Nov. 13, as the Special Session was underway, heavily armed
police and troops opened fire at university students who were
marching to the MPR building. At least 12 people died and 150
others were seriously injured, mostly by gunshots, in a clash at
the Semanggi cloverleaf in South Jakarta.
"Please make sure that all places around the MPR and hotels
where the legislative members stay will be guarded," the
President said, as quoted by Yunus.
The President also ordered Yunus to appeal to the national
press to help the government create a conducive atmosphere before
and during the General Session.
"This is an appeal, because the press plays a very important
role in national political affairs," said Yunus, who is widely
respected for his defense of the country's press freedom. (prb)