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Sarwono was among a number of former ministers and members of the current Reform Cabinet withdrawn from the Assembly.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