Gus Dur again warns House against second censure<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Seemingly untroubled by the sharp decline of the
\nrupiah, President Abdurrahman Wahid renewed on Saturday his
\nwarning that hundreds of thousands of his supporters would
\ndescend on Jakarta if the House of Representatives (DPR) tried to
\npush him out of office.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a one-day visit to the Central Java town of
\nTegal, Abdurrahman clearly underlined, however, that he would
\nstill press ahead with proposed talks with his main political
\nrivals before the April 30 DPR plenary session.<\/p>\n
Legislators at that time will decide whether to issue a second
\nmotion of censure against the President.<\/p>\n
The President also reiterated his appeal for calm and said
\nthat the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization, which he
\nchaired for 15 years, and the police would hold joint weapon
\nchecks at entry points to the capital.<\/p>\n
\"NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi and National Police chief Gen.
\n(Surojo) Bimantoro have agreed to carry out joint weapon checks
\nat entry points to Jakarta in Cikampek, Bogor and Tangerang,\"
\nAbdurrahman, who was in Tegal to attend the 68th commemoration of
\nthe death of local Muslim leader Armia Kurdi, said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's statement came as coordinator of a ready-to-die
\nforce, Wiro Sugiman, claimed in Surabaya earlier in the day that
\nsome 3,000 people from several towns in East Java had begun to
\nleave for Jakarta to participate in a istighotsah (mass prayer)
\norganized by the NU on April 29.<\/p>\n
The President's statement also came against the backdrop of a
\nproposed preliminary meeting on Saturday between representatives
\nof major political parties.<\/p>\n
Officials of Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) told
\nreporters later in the day that the \"senior officials meeting\"
\nhad to be delayed until Sunday or Monday due to \"lack of
\nresponse\" from other political parties.<\/p>\n
Foreign minister Alwi Shihab, who along with legislator Ali
\nMasjkur Musa will represent PKB at the meeting, said earlier that
\nthe proposed preliminary meeting was aimed at setting a date and
\nagenda for the \"summit\" meeting.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman disclosed in Tegal that Golkar would be
\nrepresented by former Cabinet ministers Theo Sambuaga and Mahadi
\nSinambela while the United Development Party (PPP) would be
\nrepresented by Faisal Baasir and Ali Marwan Hanan.<\/p>\n
The President added that representatives of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) \"will be decided
\nlater in the day\".<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post later in the day, Mahadi
\nconfirmed Abdurrahman's statement, saying he had been asked by
\nGolkar chairman Akbar Tandjung on Friday morning to represent the
\nparty in the meeting.<\/p>\n
Mahadi admitted, however, that \"nothing has been done so far\"
\nas \"we really don't know what we are going to do\".<\/p>\n
\"Both Pak Theo and I haven't been in contact with Pak Alwi,\"
\nMahadi said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Jakarta, Bimantoro said on Saturday that the
\nsecurity authorities would not ban people from coming to the
\ncapital to attend the mass prayer and expressing support for the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
\"Anybody is allowed to come to Jakarta as long as they do not
\nbring weapons and, most importantly, do not behave in an anarchic
\nmanner.<\/p>\n
\"No matter who they are and which groups they represent, pro
\nor antigovernment, we will take stern measures if they resort to
\nanarchy,\" Bimantoro announced prior to a special coordination
\nmeeting on political, social and security affairs chaired by
\nCoordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
Present at the meeting were Minister of Home Affairs and
\nRegional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja, Minister of Defense Mahfud
\nM.D., National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Arie J. Kumaat,
\nchiefs of staff of the Air Force, the Navy and the Army, and
\noutgoing Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Gen. Mulyono said that ahead of the House plenary
\nsession on April 30, about 30 legislators from various factions
\nhad asked for police protection after being informed they were
\n\"targets\" of the ready-to-die force.<\/p>\n
\"We predict that the President's supporters from East Java
\nwill start to flood Jakarta on April 24, so the police will
\nprotect them starting from the critical date. One legislator will
\nbe guarded by one or two police officers,\" Mulyono said.<\/p>\n
He also said that the city police would dispatch 20,000
\npersonnel from both police and military units to secure the
\ncapital for the two major political events. (02\/byg\/edt\/nur)<\/p>",
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