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)