Time frame for MPR session 'proposed by House leaders'
Time frame for MPR session 'proposed by House leaders'
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie claimed yesterday it was
the leaders of the House of Representatives (DPR) who proposed
the time frame for the extraordinary session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) which will set the date for a general
election.
Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said that Habibie,
told leaders of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) and
the Bishops' Council of Indonesia (KWI) in a meeting that he
merely agreed with the House leaders.
"The president said that the schedule for the session to
review laws which would lead up to the election, is based
entirely on the proposal of the House leaders.
"Therefore the government took the decision constitutionally
and it is in line with the proposals of the House leaders," Akbar
said.
After meeting with Habibie on Thursday, House speaker Harmoko
announced that an extraordinary session of the Assembly would be
held at the end of this year or early next year.
The following day Habibie disclosed that fresh polls would be
held sometime next year.
Opposition groups and students denounced the decision, saying
the government was buying time to consolidate its power. Since
Soeharto's resignation on May 21, many have clamored for an
election which would eventually lead to the next president being
chosen democratically.
PGI chairman Sularso Sopater joined the chorus for prompt
elections. He urged the president not to lose the momentum of
reform and help restore confidence.
"We commented about the schedule, asking whether it was not
too long," Sularso told journalists, adding that many in his
congregation felt the same way.
The four-man PGI delegation included Sularso and secretary-
general J.M. Pattiasina, while the five-member KWI delegation was
led by its chairman Bishop Jos Suwatan and secretary-general
Hadiwikarta.
Suwatan said the delegation could not fully elaborate on many
of their comments to the president since he dominated much of the
conversation.
Former House speaker Wahono yesterday brushed aside Habibie's
legitimacy as president, saying he lacked a mandate from the
Assembly.
Mandate
"Habibie is a president without an MPR mandate because the
mandate is still with Soeharto," he told reporters after
attending a commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the state
ideology Pancasila at the Pancasila building on Jl. Pejambon in
Central Jakarta.
"There should be an extraordinary session of the Assembly to
take back the people's mandate," he said.
After a meeting with Habibie yesterday, the head of the State
Intelligence Coordinating Board (Bakin), Moetoyib, reiterated the
necessity to reform the Assembly as many of its members had
resigned.
But the retired three-star general however did not elaborate
on ways to reform the assembly.
A slew of Assembly members have resigned their seats in a
sympathetic gesture to the reform movement and its call to
eradicate collusion, corruption and nepotism.
During Habibie's meeting with the Christian leaders, he was
also urged to conduct a comprehensive and transparent
investigation into the shooting dead of four Trisakti University
students on May 12.
Bishop Suwatan also urged the President to include other fatal
incidents which involved security personnel within the
investigators' remit.
"The mastermind of the rioting and looting in the last few
weeks and the kidnapping of activists should also be probed and
dealt with firmly and transparently," the bishop said.
Then, in an unexpected move, Suwatan forwarded to Habibie a
list of the victims of the riots in Jakarta.
The list, prepared in a report by the Volunteers for Humanity
chaired by Father Sandyawan, put the death toll during the riots
at more than twice the 500-odd cited by the government.
According to the list, dated May 28, the three days of riots
claimed at least 1,215 lives -- 23 shot dead and 1,192 burnt
alive in fires.
"Thirty-six people are still missing after the rioting," said
the report. (prb/imn)