An exercise in democracy<\/p>\n
Many theories are being bandied about concerning the decision
\nof the House of Representatives to summon President Abdurrahman
\nWahid to explain his decision to fire two Cabinet ministers last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Cynics say it could be the start of a complex constitutional
\nprocess to impeach the President. The less pessimistic see it as
\nthe House simply using its right to demand an explanation from
\nthe head of state on policy matters. Whether an impeachment is
\nthe final outcome of the process is secondary to the real issue
\nof how the President explains himself, and how the House reacts
\nto his account.<\/p>\n
This is the second time the House has used its interpellation
\nright to summon the President to explain particular policy
\ndecisions. In November, the President was called in to explain
\nhis decision to close the ministries of information and social
\nservices as soon as he was elected in October. At that time, he
\nhandled himself well and survived the grilling politically
\nunscathed.<\/p>\n
This time, the President is within his rights to invoke his
\nconstitutional prerogative in changing his Cabinet. The House is
\nequally within its rights to invoke its interpellation procedure.<\/p>\n
The President has explained to House leaders behind closed
\ndoors that he fired Laksamana Sukardi and Jusuf Kalla from his
\neconomic team because of allegations they were involved in
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism. Although made in private, his
\nstunning revelation was leaked within minutes of it being
\nuttered, and sparked protests not only by the two former
\nministers, but by their supporters in the House. It is natural
\ntherefore that the House now feel obliges to demand a fuller
\nexplanation, and this time on the record.<\/p>\n
There is nothing untoward about these institutions, the
\npresidency and the House, exercising their rights. They are
\nsimply using the powers accorded them in a democracy to manage
\nthis country. If anything, this is a healthy sign of the
\ncountry's leaders indulging in an exercise in democracy, through
\ndebate, in settling differences. If by some chance impeachment is
\nindeed the final outcome, one could at least say that it came
\nafter a democratic process.<\/p>\n
The final outcome is now the subject of fervent speculation by
\npolitical pundits. With 277 House members signing the petition to
\nuse the interpellation right, it is easy to assume that many
\nmembers, from the total of 500, would vote against the President
\nif the matter was put to a motion of no confidence. What these
\npundits fail to explain is that a motion of no confidence is not
\nrecognized in our political system. Only the People's
\nConsultative Assembly has the right to summon a president to ask
\nfor accountability, and then vote on its acceptance. Rejection
\nwould mean impeachment.<\/p>\n
The House has other options if it feels that the President's
\nexplanation is unsatisfactory. It has the right to investigate
\nthe President and if it found he committed a grave error, it
\ncould recommend the Assembly convene for an emergency session to
\ndemand his accountability. Only then is impeachment possible.
\nHowever, it is a lengthy procedure and assumes that the House is
\nunited, which it is not.<\/p>\n
As we let the political pundits size up the likelihood of
\nimpeachment, the rest of the nation should sit back and watch as
\nevents unfold. We should observe the legislators debate their way
\nthrough in the learning process of adapting and using the
\ndemocratic tools at their disposal. This is one way for
\npoliticians to hone their skills and statesmanship qualities.<\/p>\n
Given the President's penchant for humor, his next address to
\nthe House is bound to be another public spectacle. He was not far
\noff in November when he dismissed House members as a bunch of
\nkindergarten kids. But he was wrong in not acknowledging that
\nwhen it comes to democracy, Indonesia is still at the bottom of a
\nlong and difficult learning curve. All of us, the President
\nincluded, still have a long way to go to reach the top.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/an-exercise-in-democracy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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