MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo stated that this proposal aligns with the assembly's role as a unifier of the nation and aims to free the people from past grievances.
"We should not pass on 'historical grudges' to future generations who are neither connected to nor involved in the dark events of our nation's past," he said during the MPR's final plenary session of the 2019–2024 period on Wednesday.
Soesatyo noted that the MPR leadership has concluded the need to properly acknowledge the contributions of Soeharto and Abdurrahman Wahid, including by conferring national hero status on them.
He also mentioned that the MPR speakership received a request from the Golkar Party faction in parliament to clarify Article 4 of MPR Resolution No. XI/MPR/1998 on Corruption, Collusion, and Nepotism.
This article called for comprehensive anti-corruption measures to be applied to all current and former officials, specifically naming the former president. It was passed during the Reform era that led to the fall of Soeharto's New Order regime in 1998.
Soesatyo stated that while the resolution remains in effect, as affirmed by MPR Resolution No. 1/MPR/2003, Article 4 is no longer enforceable since Soeharto's death in 2008.
The MPR speakership also received a request from the National Awakening Party faction in parliament to clarify MPR Resolution No. II/MPR/2001 on Abdurrahman Wahid's Presidential Accountability, he added.
That resolution included an explicit condemnation of Wahid and removed him from office. It was issued on July 23, 2001, in response to Wahid's attempt to dissolve parliament beyond his constitutional authority.
Soesatyo explained that the resolution condemning Wahid is no longer in effect, adding that this clarification is intended to alleviate historical burdens and promote national unity.
"The MPR leadership must clarify this matter to raise public awareness and achieve national reconciliation for the sake of unity and integrity," he emphasized.
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Translator: Bagus Ahmad R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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