Session agenda expanded 'to respond to aspirations'

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)