Sutiyoso is confirmed as suspect in July 27 attack

Sutiyoso is confirmed as suspect in July 27 attack

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Military Police Commander Maj. Gen Sulaiman A.B. announced on
Tuesday that Governor Sutiyoso was a suspect of the July 27, 1996
incident when hundreds of progovernment civilians and military
attacked the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI).

"Sutiyoso's name is not listed in the dossiers from the
National Police, but it is in the dossier submitted by the
military police," Sulaiman said, stressing that the dossier would
soon be submitted to the prosecutor's office.

Sutiyoso was excluded from the list of 14 new suspects of the
attack against supporters of then ousted PDI chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri by supporters of the government-backed party
leader, Soerjadi.

The Soerjadi supporters received support from military
personnel. Sutiyoso has been accused of being responsible for the
incident because he was the Jakarta Military commander at the
time.

The new list was submitted by the joint police-military
investigative team to the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office in mid-July
after similar dossiers had been rejected by the office numerous
times.

Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Mulyohardjo confirmed on
Monday the exclusion of Sutiyoso's name from the list of
suspects, saying "Sutiyoso is not mentioned in the dossiers, not
even as a witness."

"So Sutiyoso's file is not missing," Sulaiman said as quoted
by Antara. He said a number of military people would be named
suspects, including Gen. (ret) Faisal Tanjung, who was the Armed
Forces commander at the time.

Last Saturday, thousands of people gathered to commemorate the
July 27, 1996 incident. They urged a comprehensive legal process
against those involved in the incident, including the
masterminds.

They also rejected Megawati's decision to support Sutiyoso in
the gubernatorial race.

Meanwhile, in the City Council building, Sutiyoso is still
listed as a candidate for city governor for the 2002-2006 period.
Sutiyoso has passed the initial selection held by the main
factions in the City Council, except the National Mandate Party
(PAN) faction.

Sutiyoso is the PDI Perjuangan faction candidate and is
supported by two other major factions -- the Golkar faction and
the United development Party (PPP) faction.

Other candidates still in the running include City Secretary
Fauzi Bowo, Council chairman Eddy Waluyo, Deputy Governor for
Social Welfare Djaelani, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Harun Al
Rasyid, PDI Perjuangan Jakarta faction chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo
and Golkar Jakarta chapter chairman Tadjus Sobirin.

The 11 factions are expected to name candidate pairs for
governor and vice governor on Friday. Each faction may name two
pairs. However, there is still lobbying going on between the
factions.

The PPP faction, for example, openly announced it would wait
for the position of the Vice President, who is also its chairman,
and was ready to cooperate with any gubernatorial candidate from
other factions.