Soeharto pardon plan receives support

Soeharto pardon plan receives support

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Noted intellectual Ichlasul Amal supported on
Wednesday the idea of imposing political penance on former
president Soeharto for alleged corruption and abuse of power.

Ichlasul, a political scientist and rector of Gadjah Mada
University here, said asking Soeharto to publicly apologize for
his mistakes during his 32-year rule would be preferable to
bringing him to court, particularly considering the former
ruler's declining health.

However, Ichlasul said if Soeharto evaded trial due to his age
and health, an investigation should be opened into his cronies,
who made use of their patron's policies to amass fortunes.

Soeharto, 78, is recovering from a mild stroke.

"Soeharto must apologize to the people for the irreparable
impact of his policies," Ichlasul said. "There were so many
policies passed during the New Order era which caused misery to
the people."

Ichlasul said among the most damaging policies was the one-
million hectare peat land project. According to reports, the
megaproject, begun in 1996, failed to bear fruit and thousands of
migrant peasants were abandoned, he said.

"Political penance is the last resort if Soeharto is
physically unable to face a trial," Ichlasul said.

The idea of not pursuing a court case against Soeharto was
proposed by the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's
largest Muslim organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, during a meeting
of political party leaders and President B.J. Habibie on Tuesday.
Abdurrahman said it was almost impossible to settle Soeharto's
case through the courts, and called on the former Army general to
return the fortune he allegedly amassed during his rule.

Abdurrahman, who is also the founder of the National Awakening
Party (PKB), said it would be difficult to prove Soeharto's
alleged abuse of power. He instead suggested Soeharto be pardoned
by a panel of Muslim experts and his alleged fortune confiscated.

Ichlasul agreed imposing political penance on Soeharto would
ease the burden on Habibie's administration.

However, the political professor was pessimistic Soeharto
would return his alleged fortune.

"It is almost impossible to expect him to return the fortune,
because the investigation into his allegedly illegal wealth has
yet to show significant progress," he said.

Separately in Padang, West Sumatra, law professor Boy Yendra
Tamin of Bung Hatta University said Abdurrahman's proposal was
"merely a political move to allow Habibie to save face".

"Abdurrahman aims to rescue Habibie from possible humiliation
in the upcoming General Session of the People's Consultative
Assembly, during which Habibie will give his accountability on
the investigation into Soeharto's alleged corruption, collusion
and nepotism," Boy said as quoted by Antara.

Boy said it was likely that in exchange for the proposal,
Abdurrahman hoped to gain Habibie's support for his ultimate goal
of becoming the next president, Assembly speaker or a spiritual
leader.

"Abdurrahman is also supporting Megawati Soekarnoputri's
presidential nomination... he could gain political fame because
he will be seen as an acceptable figure by all the nation's
groups," Boy said. Megawati is the chairwoman of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). (44/edt)