Tommy refuses calls to resign from Assembly
Tommy refuses calls to resign from Assembly
JAKARTA (JP): Hutomo Mandala Putra, former president
Soeharto's youngest son, refused yesterday to meet calls for him
to resign from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Resigning without being asked to by one's electorate would be
an irresponsible action, the 36-year-old businessman, who is
better known as Tommy, told reporters after meeting Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso at City Hall yesterday.
"Why should I resign? What's the reason?," Tommy asked.
"Those who chose me were South Sumatrans and up to now they
haven't asked me to resign," he said.
Tommy said he would resign only if his backers in the province
requested him to do so.
"It would be an irresponsible deed if I resigned without them
asking (me to)," he said.
Demands for Soeharto's children to resign from the MPR
mounted recently as part of a campaign to cleanse it of
collusion, corruption, cronyism and nepotism.
On Thursday, MPR deputy chairman Abdul Gafur from Golkar urged
members of the assembly from his organization who are considered
to have been elected based on nepotism to resign soon.
Four of Soeharto's six children are members of the assembly.
The other three are Tommy's oldest sister Siti Hardijanti Rukmana
-- better known as Tutut -- his middle brother Bambang
Trihatmodjo and middle sister Siti Hediati Prabowo (Titiek).
Bambang's wife, Halimah, is also a member of the assembly.
All of them represent Golkar, the dominant political
organization, which is still effectively controlled by Soeharto
in his capacity as the chairman of the group's patrons.
Since Soeharto's resignation on May 21 more than 20 Golkar
members of the MPR have resigned.
They include wives of senior Golkar leaders, such as chairman
Harmoko and secretary-general Ary Mardjono.
According to Gafur, 10 other MPR members from Golkar,
including Soeharto's children, should follow suit.
About 500 students, calling themselves the Jakarta Student
Senate Communication Forum, also demanded on Thursday the
expulsion of Bambang and Tutut from Golkar's central executive
board. (ind)