Jakarta – Indonesia's highest legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), will hold a special session on November 10-13 to decide Indonesia's election timetable and ratify new, more democratic political laws.

The 1,000-member assembly comprises Indonesia's 500 members of parliament (MP) and 500 appointed military and civilian officials. Around half of the appointees were picked during the rule of former President Suharto, while the rest were replaced by new appointees since President B.J. Habibie took power in May.

Parliament is made up of 425 elected members and 75 members directly appointed by the military. The MPR has the power to issue decrees which supersede any law passed by parliament. The MPR usually meets every five years to choose Indonesia's president and vice president, but this time it will be debating 12 draft laws on political reform.

The most important draft decree to be discussed involves the rescheduling of parliamentary elections to next year from 2002. Habibie has promised elections next year to make parliament more representative, followed by another MPR session in December 1999 to choose a new president.

The other key decree under discussion would limit the maximum amount of time a president and vice president could serve to two five-year terms. Suharto was elected for a seventh term in March before resigning in May amid a deepening economic crisis, mass protests against his rule and an explosion of rioting.

Other decrees to be discussed include:

The annulment of a 1998 decree giving extraordinary powers to the president. The annulment has won the support of all factions in the MPR, who say the president does not need such powers.

Granting greater autonomy to Indonesia's regions.

Granting authorities the responsibility of promoting and upholding human rights.

A draft decree on "politics in democratic economy," which seeks to promote small and medium-sized enterprises and narrow disparities in society. The draft decree bans monopolies and regulates foreign loans.

A clean government decree designed to tackle corruption. It proposes all government officials disclose their wealth and have it audited.

A draft decree on assembly meeting rules, which would change the rules governing the assembly and stipulate that the assembly's working committee operate throughout its five-year tenure, rather than for just three months currently.

Development reform guidelines, stipulating the issues the government should focus on up until the next MPR session in December 1999.

Lifting of the 1983 decree on referendums, which would allow changes to be made to Indonesia's 1945 constitution.

The annulment of a 1978 decree on promoting the state ideology of national unity, Pancasila. Critics have said current programmes for promoting Pancasila need to be improved.

The assembly is dominated by the ruling Golkar party, which has 585 seats and served as Suharto's political tool during his reign. The other two political parties which have official recognition are the Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP), with 136 seats in the assembly, and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), with 17 seats.

The PDI faction represented in the MPR is the official branch, rather than the breakaway faction headed by opposition figurehead Megawati Sukarnoputri which does not have official recognition. Opposition leaders like Megawati and Amien Rais do not hold seats in the MPR.