Jakarta – The Indonesian government has set May 26 as the tentative date for parliamentary elections, which will be held under new democratic electoral laws, a newspaper reported Friday.

Bisnis Indonesia quoted Home Affairs Minister Syarwan Hamid as saying the government hoped the new laws would be in place by December and that elections may be held May 26. According to Syarwan, drafts of the new bills, including regulations on elections, political parties and the composition of new legislative bodies, would be submitted to Parliament soon for debate. Originally, the government had planned to have done this by August.

The opposition has criticized the delay, saying it was designed to give extra time to the ruling Golkar party, which supports President B.J. Habibie, to reorganize itself. The new laws are expected to be enacted by the People's Consultative Assembly at a special meeting on Nov. 10. After the parliamentary election are held, the assembly is scheduled to meet against and select a president before the end of 1999. Habibie has said he plans to stand again for office.

[On September 19, the Jakarta Post reported that at the second reading of the bill, the party to oppose it was the United Development Party which was defeated by the armed forces and ruling Golkar factions. The Indonesian Democratic Party said it neither opposed nor supported the reading of the bill - James Balowski.]