Leaders Seeking Legal Removal Of Sukarno

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 17

Leaders Seeking Legal Removal Of Sukarno

<.V.Z. Press Association —Copyright J

DJAKARTA, June 13.

Indonesia’s leaders are laying the groundwork for legally removing President Sukarno from office without precipitating a Government crisis or civil war, says the “New York Times.”

The latest evidence of this strategy on the part of Indonesia’s de facto rulers was a statement by the West Java United Action Front denying that it advocated overthrowing Sukarno. Instead, the statement, reported yesterday by the official Indonesian news agency, Antara, demanded the restoration of constitutional legality in Indonesia.

1 The leader of the front, a loose organisation of political professional, student and working groups, then was quoted as saying, “if later Bung Karno were not elected constitutionally, this would not mean he was overthrown.” The best indication that the views of the West Java United Action Front have the backing of Lieutenant-General Suharto, was an interview with Suharto’s principal political adviser and speech writer, Brigadier-General Sutjipto, in the Army newspaper “Berita Yudha.” “The issue is not one of toppling the President,” the general said, “but of reviewing our past actions in the light of the constitution of 1945. We must safeguard the constitution.”

The congress, which is scheduled to meet on June 20, has constitutional powers to elect both the President and Vice-President. General Sutjipto's remarks in the interview amounted to a recitation of reasons why Congress might at least consider stripping President Sukarno of some of his titles, such as “president for life," and elect a vice-president who might eventually replace him. Declaring that Indonesia’s leaders live “in a way far separated from the ordinary citizens,” General Sutjipto said that “each activity of the Government must have objective guarantees to prevent it from falling under tyranny, centralised personal cults, or from going in the opposite direction of over-all anarchy.”

Indonesia’s leaders have made a number of statements recently charging Communists with spreading rumours that General Suharto and others are trying to force President Sukarno out of office. General Suharto hat frequently indicated his fear that the Congress session could

lead to political dickering and fighting among extremist I groups.

Indonesia's Parliament last Thursday passed a resolution urging that General Suharto retain his widespread authority for governing Indonesia, granted in a decree signed by President Sukarno on March 11. It also recommended the nomination of a vice-presi-dent.

General Suharto is known to fear that President Sukarno's sudden removal could lead to bitter fighting. He is believed to have advocated that Congress not act directly against the President but leave him in power at least until after a general election, says the “New York Times.”

The West Java United Action Front recently suggested that Indonesia consider three candidates for the presidency —Mohammed Hatta, who resigned as vice-president in a feud with President Sukarno nearly 16 years ago; General Abdul Haris Nasution, dismissed by President Sukarno

as Defence Minister in February; and Hamengku Buwono, Sultan of Jogjakarta and Deputy Premier for Economic ' Affairs.