Thousands demand Soeharto's resignation at House

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of students and community leaders swamped the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly complex yesterday, conveying loudly their demands that the legislative body set in motion procedures to force President Soeharto to step down.

Reaching the compound in waves of buses and other means of transport, the protesters took over commission rooms and would not budge until legislators appeared.

A group of alumni and students fro Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) met with Irsyad Sudiro and Abdul Gafur from the dominant Golkar faction, and threatened to resign their Golkar membership if the ruling political organization failed to take responsibility for the political, economic, legal and moral crisis, and initiate sweeping reform.

In the other wing of the building, illustrious members of a group who called themselves Gerakan Reformasi Nasional (National Reform Movement) entered a room and waited for over an hour to be met by leaders of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction. The group was an amalgam of various associations, including students, alumni and University of Indonesia (UI) staff.

Among members were former minister of mines Subroto, poet W.S. Rendra, scholar Y.B. Mangunwijaya, UI professor Mahar Mardjono, chairman of UI alumni association Hariadi Dharmawan, and a group of retired generals represented by Solichin G.P. and Ali Sadikin.

The group turned up with red roses in their hands symbolizing peaceful reform, and asked Hari Sabarno and his colleagues from the ABRI faction to initiate an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly to withdraw the mandate given to Soeharto and Vice President B.J. Habibie.

"The suffering of the people...in this multi-dimensional crisis, must not be allowed to drag on, and should be ended with affirmative action through the national reform movement," the group said in a statement delivered by UI professor Dimyati Hartono.

"We insist that the People's Consultative Assembly convene a special session to revoke the... (decree which returned) General (ret) H.M. Soeharto as president, and B.J. Habibie as Vice President...and elect a new president and vice president."

"Now is the turning point. It is a new era in the history of Indonesia," Dimyati said.

In his response, Hari, who calmly fended off jeers from some students, said his faction would take steps to heed the people's aspirations and demands soon.

"We are indeed racing against time, and must prevent irresponsible groups from causing more unrest," he said.

Simultaneously, members of House Commission II on domestic affairs met with Moslem scholar Amien Rais, who was accompanied by legal expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra. Amien, the chairman of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization who once expressed readiness to become president, told reporters afterward: "Basically all parliament members... are longing for reform."

"To quit, to step down, to resign or however you want to say it, he has to go..." Amien said.

He made the same statement during his meeting with the legislators. "Soeharto must go -- the sooner the better," said Amien, who has promised to bring millions of people onto the streets on Wednesday, National Awakening Day, to drive home his message.

Groups

In the foyer, two different groups of students sat chanting songs critical of President Soeharto and shouting every so often: "Long live reform!" They were members of the Moslem Students Association (PMII), and of the association of student bodies in Jakarta.

Yet another group of protesters formed outside the building. Around 3,000 students in various varsity colors from more than 40 Greater Jakarta universities staged a rally, taking turns to orate to the crowds.

Three trucks of soldiers, one light tank and one armored personnel carrier stood ready by the side of the complex.

The students left their campuses packed into buses and cars crying "Merdeka (freedom)." Many waved roses at the impassive ranks of armed troops and sung and cheered at clapped.

Soldiers ushered them through the gates of the House building to present petitions demanding that the People's Consultative Assembly hold an emergency session to ask the President to quit.

After several hours rallying under the scorching sun, the students left the House compound in 30 buses provided by the Armed Forces. Lt. Col. Saragih, a member of staff in the information department in ABRI headquarters said the buses were to take the students back to their campuses so they would not have to march on the streets near the House compound.

However, 100 students chose to camp out at the House compound, holding serious discussion with each other. (byg/imn/rms/swe)