UI students call for MPR special session

JAKARTA (JP): A group of University of Indonesia postgraduate students called on the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to convene a special meeting to revoke its recent decree which grants President Soeharto extra powers.

"We want the MPR to immediately take the initiative and hold an extraordinary session of the Assembly in response to widely supported calls for reforms," the group said in a declaration read out by Moeroe Supranoto.

Calling themselves the Forum Wacana UI (University of Indonesia Discourse Forum), the group held a discussion on the present economic, social and political situation before issuing the declaration.

The MPR must not only call an extraordinary session but also revoke its March 1998 decree which granted the President power to take preemptive measures to ensure that development programs continue, the students said.

Observers expressed fear over the possibility of abuse of these extra powers, something which legislators and politicians from the ruling Golkar faction denied was possible. They based their argument on the fact that such extra powers had been held by the President in the past but were never put to use.

"The session must also revoke decrees which restrict the legislators' freedom to voice and channel the people's aspirations," it added.

The group also called on the government to immediately bring the soaring prices of basic commodities under control.

"We want the government to bring prices down to the levels they were at before the crisis broke last July," it said.

The Forum Wacana, which was established yesterday, said they completely supported undergraduate calls for sweeping reform.

They also called on the Armed Forces (ABRI) to prove that it was neutral and that its loyalties lay with the people.

"ABRI leaders have repeatedly said that what's best for the people would also be best for ABRI," they pointed out. "Therefore, ABRI members should join hands with other elements in society and help turn the calls for reform into a reality."

Present at the discussion were Deputy House Speaker from the Golkar faction Abdul Gafur, and Abu Hasan Sazili, Slamet Effendy Yusuf and Syamsul Mu'arif, who are all Golkar legislators.

Also in attendance were former Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo, former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin, soothsayer Permadi Satrio Wiwoho and human rights activist Eggi Sudjana.

Abdul Gafur said there was no strong grounds on which to justify convening a special session of the MPR.

"The situation is not as bad as the students described," he told the media after the discussion.

"Besides, the government is already putting its best efforts into bringing the country out of the crisis," he added.

He dismissed allegations that the government had violated the principles of the Pancasila state ideology and the 1945 Constitution.

Constitutionally, an extraordinary session of the Assembly could be held at the request of the President or the House of Representatives (DPR).

The House might have grounds to request a session if it considered the President had violated Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. The President could convene the Assembly if he thought the House was restricting his policies unfairly. (imn)