INDONESIA: PLANS TO INVESTIGATE PRESIDENT SUHARTO DROPPED скачать в хорошем качестве

INDONESIA: PLANS TO INVESTIGATE PRESIDENT SUHARTO DROPPED

(3 Dec 1998) Indonesian/Nat The Indonesian government announced an election schedule for next year, but dropped plans to set up an independent panel to investigate former President Suharto. The decision was met with dismay by a thousand student protesters who marched down Jakarta's main road to demand that Suharto be tried. Parliamentary elections will be held on June 7 and the nation's highest legislative assembly will elect a new president on August 29. The announcement of next year's electoral timetable came after a meeting with President B-J Habibie and key Cabinet ministers at Parliament. Habibie is expected to run for president, but his ruling Golkar party has lost credibility because of its role as an instrument of Suharto's rule for decades. The announcement was made by speaker of the assembly Harmoko. SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian) "It is agreed that the general election, God willing, will take place on the 7th of June 1999." SUPER CAPTION: Harmoko, speaker of house The Speaker also said a new president would be elected on August 29. In keeping with Indonesian law, the People's Consultative Assembly will elect a new president. There is no direct presidential poll. However, the thousand-member assembly is packed with holdovers from the Suharto era and critics say it does not have the credibility to choose a new leader for the nation of 202 (m) million people. SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian) "It is expected that the first sitting of the House of Representatives (MPR) will take place on the 29th of August 1999 coinciding with the anniversary of the Parliament of the Republic of Indonesia." SUPER CAPTION: Harmoko, speaker of house But Habibie also used this meeting to announce that plans for an independent corruption inquiry of Suharto had been abandoned. The government had trouble finding public figures who were willing to join the panel, which was viewed as a cosmetic gesture by critics. Instead, Habibie again ordered Attorney General Andi Mohamad Ghalib to investigate Suharto. A previous inquiry by Ghalib turned up no evidence of wrongdoing and opponents labelled it a whitewash. SOUNDBITE: (Indonesian) "Regarding Presidential decree number 30, 1998, concerning allegations of collusion, corruption and nepotism, the Attorney General is instructed to take proactive, effective and efficient steps to clean up collusion, corruption and nepotism in order to speed up national development for the good of the Indonesian people." SUPER CAPTION: Akbar Tanjung, Secretary of State Meanwhile hundreds of Indonesian students took to the streets of Jakarta continuing to protest against the government. The announcement of the election dates came amid widespread suspicion among student protesters that President B-J Habibie would delay the balloting and stall other democratic reforms. Yet many students were unlikely to be satisfied with the election timetable. The students have demanded the immediate resignation of Habibie, who took office from Suharto in May after riots and protests against his 32-year authoritarian rule. Hundreds marched to the Indonesian Presidential Palace in central Jakarta on Thursday. Gathering in front of the Hotel Indonesia the marchers proceeded along Thamrin Boulevard in the direction of the Presidential Palace. But their route was blocked by a large contingent of armed troops and police in front of the Bank of Indonesia Building. But Thursday's confrontation ended peacefully after about half an hour with the students dispersing. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...