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)