Speaker swears in 91 new MPR members

Speaker swears in 91 new MPR members

JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Harmoko installed 91 new members
of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Wednesday,
dismissing speculation that political engineering was behind the
move.

Of the 91 new members, 24 Golkar and Armed Forces
representatives entered the Assembly by virtue of becoming new
legislators in the House of Representatives (DPR). The remaining
67 new MPR members consisted of 37 Golkar appointees, with the
balance from the United Development Party (PPP), Armed Forces
(ABRI) and Regional Representatives factions.

Harmoko denied the MPR's leadership appointed the replacements
to pack the Assembly with members sympathetic to President B.J.
Habibie's reelection bid for the 1999/2004 term.

"How can (the MPR leadership) engineer it (the presidential
election) since I no longer have position in the (Golkar) central
board?" said Harmoko, who was formerly Golkar's chairman.

"The replacement of DPR and MPR members is (regulated) by the
legislative bodies' internal rules. The central board (of the
factions) are independent in their decisions about the
replacements," he said.

He said the move was not a political ploy by the DPR and MPR
leadership because the bodies' three political groupings -- PPP,
Golkar and PDI -- had the authority to withdraw and replace any
of their members.

According to Antara, speculation of political engineering grew
after former Golkar leader Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said recently
that the Golkar replacements were installed to ensure that
Habibie stay in power.

Sarwono was among a number of former ministers and members of
the current Reform Cabinet withdrawn from the Assembly.

The others included former manpower minister Abdul Latief,
former minister of food Ibrahim Hasan, former minister of social
services Inten Suweno, former minister for women's roles Mien
Sugandhi, former minister of education and culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro, former minister of health Sujudi, former minister of
agrarian affairs Soni Harsono, former minister of transmigration
Siswono Yudhohusodo, former minister of transportation Haryanto
Dhanutirto and former minister of public works Radinal Moochtar.

Minister of Trade and Industry Rahardi Ramelan and Minister of
Empowerment of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng were also included
in the 37 Golkar representatives dismissed from the Assembly.

Among the Golkar replacements were Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung and former minister
of manpower Cosmas Batubara.

Speculation has also grown that the new Assembly members from
the Golkar faction were recruited from party cadres loyal to
current Golkar chairman, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung.

Assembly chief spokesman Yana Indrawan said five of the new
MPR members failed to attend the installation ceremony and would
be sworn in in the near future.

The five were Lambert Silooy and Maj. Gen. Johny Lumintang
(both from ABRI), chief of the Armed Forces's Command School
Leonard Tomasoa (from Golkar), Nathanael Antonius Maidepa (from
Golkar) and Bomer Pasaribu (regional representatives faction).

Yana said Lambert did not explain why he could not attend,
while Lumintang was still in Australia.

Lambert replaced Rear Admiral Suratmin, while Lumintang
replaced his predecessor Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto.

In his speech on Wednesday, Harmoko called on the public and
the legislative bodies to work together to move the country's
political agenda forward and make the coming special session of
the MPR a success.

He said the Working Committee of the Assembly had worked hard
to prepare 12 draft decrees to be discussed in the special
session slated for Nov. 10 through Nov. 13.

One of the draft decrees stipulates that the next general
election be moved up from 2002 to next May or June, he added.

He also said the House was discussing political draft laws
expected to change the face of the country's political and
economic life.

"All this proves the legislative bodies are committed to
reform which the majority of Indonesians has been demanding," he
said.

Harmoko said the group of new replacements were the fifth in a
series of replacements made by the House and the Assembly "in the
reform era" since former president Soeharto resigned on May 21.

Groups of replacements were previously installed on July 1,
July 8, July 24 and Aug. 23.

Meanwhile, PPP said it has withdrawn nine of its members from
two regional legislative councils in West Java for various
reasons.

Maksum Zaelani, chairman of the PPP faction in the West Java
provincial legislative council, said in Bandung on Wednesday that
his party recalled three members from the Ciamis regional
legislative council last June and six from the Bandung regional
legislative council recently.

He said the three were dismissed because they signed certain
letters they had no authority to put their name on. The letter
reportedly contained a proposal for candidates for Ciamis regent.

The six members of the Bandung regional legislative council
were recalled because they were involved in "political scandals"
in a Bandung election this year. (rms)