* Suharto 'to drag down' officials - The Australian * Committee agrees to keep old proportional system - JP * Jakarta's answer: keep out - SMH ------------------------------------------------------------------ Suharto 'to drag down' officials ================================ The Australian - November 30, 1998 Jakarta -- Current and former government officials will suffer if Suharto is brought to trial on corruption charges, former Indonesian president Suharto's legal adviser warned at the weekend. In twin statements issued late Saturday on television and in writing, Yohannes Yacob reminded government ministers that should the ousted leader be brought to face court, they could be among the many "dragged down" with him. "We need to point out that the probe if taken to court will also drag down government officials, ex-officials and all the cronies who are also suspected of improper gains through corruption, collusion and nepotism," Mr Yacob said. There was no direct confirmation yesterday from the 77-year-old Mr Suharto, whose Jakarta residence has been the target of repeated student demonstrations since his fall in May, as to whether he had personally authorised Mr Yacob's warning. The statements followed disclosures over the past week that Mr Suharto has 21 billion rupiah ($4.2 million) in domestic bank accounts and that he and his family hold vast tracts of land and assets nationwide. Mr Suharto's successor and protege, President B. J. Habibie, last week authorised the setting up of a new commission to investigate the Suharto wealth and assets. In a television interview, Mr Yacob said Mr Suharto -- who until now has simply been asked to give evidence to the inquiry and not formally charged to appear -- was ready to sit as a suspect in a courtroom. An estimated 20,000 supporters of Indonesia's leading Muslim- backed opposition party crammed into the centre of Jakarta yesterday for the opening of its five-day congress in preparation for national elections within months. Jakarta's answer: keep out ========================== Sydney Morning Herald - November 30, 1998 Bernard Lagan and Louise Williams -- The Government's links to Indonesia were under strong attack last night after Jakarta refused to allow an Australian Government-appointed investigator into East Timor to gather new evidence on military abuses. And the Government's claim of success in getting agreement for an Australian defence attache to monitor military activity in Timor was also criticised as unlikely to clear up allegation of a recent massacre. An inconclusive result could be portrayed by Jakarta as an Australian all-clear. Australia had wanted to send the former head of the National Crime Authority, Mr Tom Sherman, to East Timor to investigate fresh allegations that the Indonesian military had executed five Australian-based journalists in East Timor in 1975. The refusal was confirmed by the Minister for Defence, Mr Moore, who returned at the weekend from talks with the Indonesian President, Mr B.J. Habibie, and the head of the Indonesian armed forces (ABRI), General Wiranto. The Indonesians agreed only to allow Australia's Jakarta-based defence attachi into East Timor tomorrow to investigate allegations of Indonesian troop build-ups and allegations of the further slaughter of civilians. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta confirmed Mr Moore had raised the issue of access to East Timor for Mr Sherman, but Dr. B. J. Habibie had replied: "That would not be possible." Dr Habibie is understood to be unwilling to antagonise the powerful armed forces by attempting to re-open an inquiry into the killings. The new information about the Balibo killings, aired on ABC-TV last month, implicated Indonesia's Minister for Information, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Yunus Yosfiah, who led a special forces unit during the incursion into East Timor in October 1975. Last month, General Yosfiah denied he supervised the killings and, at the same time, the Habibie Government announced it would not re-open the investigation. Mr Sherman found in an earlier inquiry that the newsmen were probably killed accidentally in crossfire between pro- and anti-independence fighters. His conclusion was reached without an attempt to visit Indonesia or East Timor, because permission was considered unlikely under the former Soeharto government. Mr Moore claimed that Australia's defence attachi would be given unlimited access on East Timor this week. Indonesia's refusal to allow Mr Sherman into East Timor and the inadequacy of an inquiry by the defence attachi were condemned last night by politicians, the International Commission of Jurists and by the East Timorese independence activist Mr Jose Ramos Horta. Mr Ramos Horta condemned Mr Moore's show of support for General Wiranto, who is facing harsh criticism for the actions of his troops, including security forces who opened fire on thousands of unarmed students in Jakarta on November 13. "Instead of supporting democracy -- and democracy means that the army must get out of politics in Indonesia -- [Australia] goes on embracing the same people that kept Soeharto in power for 32 years," Mr Ramos Horta said. Committee agrees to keep old proportional system ================================================ Jakarta Post - November 29, 1998 Jakarta -- A special committee of the House of Representatives agreed on Thursday to retain the old proportional representation (PR) system for next year's general election, but with major improvements to make it more democratic. The government backed down on its original proposal for a district system in which people would vote for candidates rather than parties, after the three political parties currently represented in the House called for a retention of the PR system. "The proper spirit is to fix the shortcomings of the past," Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said during a deliberation of the government-drafted bill on elections with the special committee set up to consider this vital matter. Whatever system was adopted, it would have to be better than the past one Syarwan said. On Monday, Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the government-supported Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) were all united in demanding the retention of the PR system, stressing that there was not enough time to adopt a new system given that the election should be held in June. The Armed Forces (ABRI) faction, which is guaranteed some seats in the House without having to contest the election, is indifferent on the issue. There was no immediate reaction to the decision from the new political parties which are not represented in the House. Their views are nevertheless important given that they will also be contesting the election for the first time next year. The past system restricted the election to the three parties and was designed to give maximum advantage to Golkar which won all six elections held under former president Soeharto. Syarwan underlined some of the things that the nation would miss out on by not adopting the district system. Legislators elected through a district system would be more accountable to their constituents than if they were elected through a PR system, he said. Election campaigning under the district system would be much more peaceful and localized. Under the PR system, the tendency was for parties to organize massive rallies, he said. He pointed out that given the current fragile political situation, there was a danger that such rallies might lead to unrest. The four factions in the 87-strong special committee shared the government's security concerns and stressed that these should be addressed in the new election law. Ryaas Rasyid, who heads the government team which drafted the bill, told the meeting that a government regulation on election campaigns would have to be drafted separately from the bill. "Basically, we agree that future elected legislators will be accountable to the people, " Ryaas said. The special committee on Thursday also debated how the election should be administered and supervised. The Golkar, PPP and ABRI factions objected to the government proposal to include public figures in the national and local election committees. They said a People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decree on general election specified that the election committees consist of representatives of the government and the political parties. The inclusion of public figures, such as scholars or religious leaders like Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, would strengthen the credibility of the committees Ryaas said. The government would not insist on their inclusion but the factions would be wise to heed the warning, he said. "If the people later find faults with the election law they would blame the political parties, and not the government," he added. PDI legislator Wiyanjono also warned of the possibility of political parties boycotting the elections. The special committee endorsed the government's proposal for a single general election supervisory body, which should be independent and established by the Supreme Court. The factions and the government agreed on allowing the public as well as foreigners to actively monitor the general election. They said foreign observers must first notify the government of their intention. The session was adjourned to Thursday. ********************************************************** Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) PO Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007 Australia Phone: 61-(0)2-96901230 Fax : 61-(0)2-96901381 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW : http://www.peg.apc.org/~asiet/ Free Xanana Gusmao, Budiman Sujatmiko and Dita Sari! 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