Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Source APC Newsgroup: act.indonesia
Written by: tapol@gn.apc.org
Date: 11 Nov 1998 04:25:40
Subject: MPR session enters second day amid massive security
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)
Subject: MPR session enters second day amid massive securityIndonesian MPR enters second day of deliberations amid massive security
JAKARTA, Nov 11 (AFP) - Indonesia's highest legislative body entered a second
day of deliberations under tight security here Wednesday, with thousands of
students expected to again stage demonstrations demanding early polls.A deep cordon of army and police was maintained around the parliament complex
here, the scene of mass protests Tuesday.The 1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is meeting to discuss
political reforms and to set the stage for elections in 1999.But the students charge that the MPR remains a Suharto-era body, and is both
unqualified and unlikely to agree to reforms.They had want the MPR disbanded and replaced by a people's presidium until new
elections are held.On Tuesday, four prominent opposition and reformist politicians, joined by
leaders of three leading student groups, issued a list of concrete, and more
moderate, demands including early elections.The four were nationalist party leader Megawait Sukarnoputri, the widely-
respectected Sultan of Yogyakarta, Hamengkubuwono X, reformist Amien Rais and
Moslem leader Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.Meeting in Wahid's house as hundreds of students waited ouside, they agreed to
leave the MPR intact, but called on the session to rule Suharto's successor
President B.J. Habibie a transitional president.They also urged that presidential elections be held three months earlier than
the timetable outlined by Habibie, and the military be phased out of politics
over six years.The students had been pushing for the military to return to barracks
immediately.
The politicians also called for the disbanding of the 125,000 civilian
auxiliaries deployed by the military to assist some 16,000 soldiers and police
mobilized in Jakarta.Several clashes took place on Tuesday between the auxiliary force and angry
students and civilians.The auxiliaries were conspicuously absent from the main streets around the
parliament Wednesday, witnesses said.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
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