Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Written by: tapol@gn.apc.org
Date: 09 Nov 1998 05:22:55
Subject: Indonesian parties warn legislature over special session
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)
Subject: Indonesian parties warn legislature over special sessionFrom Joyo:
Indonesian parties warn legislature over special session
JAKARTA, Nov 9 (AFP) - Several Indonesian political parties have warned they
will ignore this week's special session of the country's highest legislative
body it ignores demands for reform, press reports said Monday."If the special session of the MPR closes itself to the aspirations of the
people and comes out with decrees that run against the demands of reform, the
People's Mandate Party (PAN) will withdraw its commitment to the MPR results,"
PAN chairman Amien Rais said, according to the Kompas daily.,The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is to open a four-day special session
on Tuesday to pave the way for elections in 1999.Rais, a popular politician and former chairman of the influential Muhammadiyah
Islamic group, said that although many considered the legislature a product of
the old Suharto regime, people have given it a chance to take part in the
reform drive."The MPR members should be aware that their positions have been questioned and
their commitment doubted but that they have been given a last chance to
improve themselves," Rais said.The current MPR was appointed by then-president Suharto in October 1997. The
body unanimously gave Suharto a seventh five year term in March, but just some
two months later pressed for his resignation as public protests mounted.Rais said he hoped the MPR "can produce decisions that meet the aspirations of
the majority of the people not represented in the current MPR membership."None of the almost 100 new parties that appeared since Suharto's resignation
on May 21, nor any major opposition politician, is represented in the MPR.The chairman of the Nation's Awakening Party (PKB), Matori Abdul Jalil, voiced
similar warnings.The PKB draws its membership from the country's largest Moslem organisation,
the Nahdlatul Ulama, which boast of over 30 million followers."If the political agenda of the MPR special session fails, it would be
tantamount to the government inciting the anger of the people, or creating a
never ending polemic," Jalil said.Reformists and students have called on the special session to oust the
military from the legislature and for a more serious investigation into the
wealth of Suharto as well as his accountability for his past rule.University of Indonesia warned last Friday warned that if the MPR session
failed to meet their demands, they planned action on November 14, the day
after the session closes.More militant student groups, who have rejected the special session, have
pledged to hold daily demonstrations.The Indonesian military has deployed some 30,000 troops and police across the
country for the session, including 16,800 forces in the capital. Even the navy
has been put on alert.The authorities say about 125,000 civilians have volunteered to help assure
security in Jakarta.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAPOL, the Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
111 Northwood Road, Thornton Heath,
Surrey CR7 8HW, UK
Phone: 0181 771-2904 Fax: 0181 653-0322
email: tapol@gn.apc.org
Campaigning to expose human rights violations in
Indonesia, East Timor, West Papua and AcehJoin us to celebrate TAPOL's 25th anniversary on
20 October 1998. Contact us for ticket details.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Index E-mail Author Previous message Next message