Session agenda expanded 'to respond to aspirations'

JAKARTA (JP): House/Assembly Speaker Harmoko claimed on Tuesday that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) had responded to public aspirations by scheduling discussions on human rights and regional autonomy in its Special Session, which runs from Nov. 10 through Nov. 13.

Addressing the opening of the four-day session, Harmoko also claimed that the session was initially intended only to revoke, amend and adopt decrees to change the date for the next election from 2002 to May 1999. However, the decision to discuss other issues was made to demonstrate that the Assembly heeded people's calls for reform.

"The Special Session is part of the Assembly's response to people's demands and aspirations for reform in all spheres of the nation's life," he told 981 members of the MPR, President B.J. Habibie and other dignitaries attending the event.

Various draft decrees have been prepared by the Assembly Working Committee to be discussed during the four-day meeting, he said.

"Since the spreading of demands for reform, which peaked with the mass actions spearheaded by the student movement, we were immediately confronted with this fundamental question: How should these reform ideas find a constitutional form?" he said.

Harmoko said the demands for reform needed to be crystallized into a clear concept and gain legitimacy through a constitutional political process, "without which all these reform ideas would have no legal strength," he said.

He pointed out the strategic nature of the session as it must determine the future course of the nation.

The session will also discuss clean governance and the campaign against corruption, collusion and nepotism, as well as a draft decree on economic democracy.

"This is now the time to think clearly, and not let the euphoria of freedom adversely affect the real meaning of democracy," he said.

Harmoko, three-time information minister who was known as a loyalist of former president Soeharto, said democracy means nurturing common sense, tolerance toward differences of opinion and a willingness to carry out decisions for the common benefit.

He pointed out various recent statements by public figures, which showed that the speakers were only campaigning for their own interests, forcing their own will and disregarding constitutional processes.

"We should hold an introspection. It's very possible the current situation resulted from weaknesses in the representative bodies," he said. (swe)