Use MPR funds to feed the poor: Expert

Use MPR funds to feed the poor: Expert

JAKARTA (JP): Constitutional law expert Harun Alrasid said it
would be a waste of billions of rupiah to hold a special session
of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) this November only to
prepare for an early general election next year.

He said the funds, estimated at Rp 10 billion for the MPR
session and Rp 1.1 trillion for the general election, could be
put to better use alleviating people's suffering during the
economic crisis.

"Most people don't care about politics. They are more
concerned about their daily needs," he said. "It is more urgent
for us to defuse the economic crisis rather than wasting time and
money for the MPR session, which has an unclear and uncertain
agenda."

He said he did not see any urgency for the session and the
early general election since "Habibie's government is
constitutionally valid and he can run his government until 2003."

Harun, a professor at the University of Indonesia's law
school, described the planned session as a futile exercise
because the MPR members were selected during the New Order regime
under former president Soeharto.

If the session was planned only to review the MPR decrees on
Soeharto's reappointment as president and on general elections,
he said, then Habibie could use yet another MPR decree -- which
grants a president extraordinary power -- to make necessary
decisions and policies, including on elections.

"To me, it would be too hasty to hold a general election in
May 1999 because we have yet to have new political laws, election
laws... Besides, new parties would not be ready, politically and
financially, to participate in the abrupt election."

In the past, it has taken the government five years to produce
political laws and educate the public about them.

The government recently has produced three draft laws on
political parties, general elections and functions of House of
Representatives/MPR. The bills will soon be submitted to the
House for deliberation.

Harun said time was too limited for the government to
"socialize them".

The government plans to hold an MPR special session Nov. 10,
1998 and an early election in May 1999 to create a new government
as the country enters the 21st century.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, also a professor of constitutional law
at the University of Indonesia, said he supported the plan for
the MPR special session and early general elections.

The two are needed to help the nation pull itself out of its
political crisis, he said.

"The MPR should hold a special session to renew the decree on
the general election."

However, he added, there was no need to review the MPR decree
on Soeharto's reappointment as president since he had already
been replaced by Habibie.

He said an early election was needed to gauge whether people
really wanted one, and whether they had any confidence in the
current government. (rms)