Word: suharto
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...world's third largest democracy took a great leap forward last week when Indonesia's highest legislative body agreed to sweeping constitutional reforms, paving the way for direct presidential elections in 2004. The fractious People's Consultative Assembly, a holdover from the three-decade rule of deposed President Suharto, also agreed to transform itself into a bicameral body similar to the United States Congress. "This is historical," enthuses political analyst and columnist Bara Hasibuan. "For the first time, we'll be using a presidential system where all branches are equal. There will now be a separation of power rather than...
...special rapporteur from the United Nations was in Jakarta last week on a mission to assess the state of the Indonesian judiciary. He told reporters that what he saw had been even more disappointing than his already dismal expectations. For the duration of his 32-year reign, former President Suharto prevented the growth of an independent judiciary and kneecapped the concept of aggressive prosecution. Though Bapak is several years removed from power, many believe the rich and powerful still benefit from a favorably disposed judiciary. And the military's influence, far from shrinking, is being shored up. Which...
...defendant's bellyaching, this time, would not get him off. The attorneys for Hutomo Mandala Putra (known as Tommy Suharto) insisted their client's stomach cramps and headache had kept him in his comfortable, air-conditioned cell?outfitted with a television and a stereo system?and away from the Jakarta courtroom where a five-judge panel was set to rule on whether their defendant was guilty of arranging the murder of a judge, fleeing from justice for 12 months, and possessing illegal rifles, handguns, grenades and explosives. Such was the reputation of Tommy, 40, the youngest son of former Indonesian...
...When his dad was boss, of course, Tommy was beyond the reach of any court, a charmed status that continued even after Suharto Sr. lost power in 1998. Tommy was first arrested in 1999, sentenced to 18 months for graft the following year, and then escaped in November 2000. During his 12 months on the lam, Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who convicted Tommy on the graft charges, was assassinated. Police finally caught up with Tommy last November, and he was later charged with the murder...
...Indonesia, the trial was a test of reformasi, or the reforming of Suharto-era corruption. But Tommy's four-month trial sometimes veered into farce. At one point, his lawyer was accused of bribing witnesses in the trial and had to spend two weeks in jail. Tommy himself was brash and sarcastic throughout, calling in sick on several occasions and boasting at one point that he stayed out of jail through "coordination with law enforcers...