Soesilo says riots possible before March assembly

JAKARTA (JP): A senior cabinet minister warned yesterday of possible attempts to disrupt the presidential election next March.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman said the Armed Forces should prepare for possible riots during the election.

The People's Consultative Assembly will convene its General Assembly next March to deliberate state guidelines and elect a new president and vice president.

"There is a possibility that certain groups want to disrupt the assembly," Soesilo said after meeting President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace.

He said there was good potential for riots because some groups who wanted to topple the government would try to foil the assembly for their own interests.

"We must stay alert for such a possibility," Soesilo said.

Soesilo said the Armed Forces should exploit regency alert centers to detect any antigovernment activity that could lead to unrest.

Soeharto ordered the centers' establishment in January to monitor conditions and rumors that could incite unrest and report them to relevant authorities.

The centers have been set up at district military commands. They have been deemed necessary to prevent riots and handle local problems which have been in rampant in the last two years.

"The success of antigovernment movements depends on their ability to mobilize people," Soesilo said.

Golkar won 325 seats of the 425 seats in the House of Representatives in the May general election. The United Development Party won 89 seats and the Indonesian Democratic Party won 11 seats. Seventy-five seats were awarded to the Armed Forces because its personnel do not vote.

House members automatically become members of the People's Consultative Assembly.

The 1000-strong assembly comprises the 500 House members and 500 representatives of regions, professions and mass organizations.

The assembly convenes every five years to deliberate the guidelines of state policies and elect a president and vice president.

Soeharto, 76, is widely expected to be reelected for a sixth five-year term although he has not said whether he would stand again.

Less certain is the vice presidency, a key role as Soeharto's most likely successor.

The names of several possible vice presidential candidates have appeared in newspapers, including the incumbent Vice President Try Sutrisno, State Minister of National Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of Information Hartono and State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie.

Soesilo said, "Some groups will continue to try to foil the assembly."

When reporters asked him to name the groups, Soesilo said: "They belong to groups who are against our national commitment."

When reporters kept asking him to name the groups, he answered: "I do not need to tell you their names, just write in your newspapers that I said the potential was there." (06)