Gus Dur forms team to lobby big parties<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid has tasked
\na team of four ministers and the attorney general with lobbying
\nmajor political parties for a compromise in the lead-up to a
\nspecial session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Al-Hilal Hamdi said
\nafter a special ministerial meeting on Friday, that the team
\ncomprised Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
\nSecurity Affairs Agum Gumelar, Coordinating Minister for the
\nEconomy Rizal Ramli, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. and Attorney
\nGeneral Baharuddin Lopa.<\/p>\n
\"With establishment of the team, the government will hold
\ndialogs and intensify its lobbying of political parties to seek a
\nwin-win solution in the special session,\" Al-Hilal said after a
\nmeeting of ministers under Agum's coordination.<\/p>\n
Also attending the meeting were Lopa, Foreign Minister Alwi
\nShihab, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. and
\nNational Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro. Mahfud was absent
\ndue to an official visit to East Java with Minister of National
\nEducation Yahya Muhaimin.<\/p>\n
Al-Hilal said Mahfud and Lopa would approach the Golkar Party
\nand the Axis Force, a coalition of Muslim-based parties, while
\nAgum and Rizal would approach the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
Formation of the team came after the MPR decided on Thursday
\nto ask the President to account for his administration's
\ngovernance before a special session scheduled for Aug. 1. The
\nteam reportedly held a meeting at the official residence of State
\nMinister for Women's Empowerment Khofifah Indar Parawansa later
\nin the day.<\/p>\n
Asked about the possibility of preventing the special session,
\nAl-Hilal said: \"The team is assigned to melt the tension between
\nthe executive body and the legislature, as well as to anticipate
\nunwanted complications that may follow the special session.\"<\/p>\n
Agum, who refused to reveal the team's detailed mission,
\nimplied that he was also trying to win the military's support.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that he held a meeting with senior Army
\nofficials at the Army Headquarters earlier on Friday, including
\nArmy Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, Army Strategic
\nReserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu and
\nthe Army's special force (Kopassus) chief Maj. Gen. Amirul
\nIsnaini.<\/p>\n
\"It was just a family get-together, because I was an Army
\nofficer and served in Kopassus,\" said Agum, a former Kopassus
\nchief.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, East Java, Mahfud confirmed that a series of
\nmeetings with several political party leaders had been arranged,
\nbeginning on Monday.<\/p>\n
He said the President's team was not tasked with hampering the
\nspecial session, but seeking a compromise.<\/p>\n
\"We have no intention of foiling the special session as it is
\nno longer avoidable. The main problem at present is how to seek a
\ncompromise with minimal political risks,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But he remained in the dark as to what kinds of political
\ncompromise were on offer.<\/p>\n
\"We want to know the parties' agenda for the special session
\nbeforehand. We want to know what they want to do with the special
\nsession,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mahfud further said that his team would remind party leaders
\nof the price the nation would pay if the President were to be
\nimpeached in the special session, including possible conflicts
\nerupting between grass roots people.<\/p>\n
The political stalemate has been worsened with visible
\nconflict between the President and his vice president, Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, whose party PDI Perjuangan is playing a key role
\nin demanding Abdurrahman's accountability. The recent Cabinet
\nreshuffle has added more tension.<\/p>\n
Megawati's close aide, however, denied speculation that she
\nhad distanced herself from the government following the recent
\nCabinet reshuffle.<\/p>\n
In a weekly meeting with journalists on Friday, vice
\npresidential secretary Bambang Kesowo said that Megawati never
\nexpressed any objection to the newly appointed ministers and
\nattorney general.<\/p>\n
\"The new attorney general met Ibu on Wednesday evening and we
\nare processing a schedule for the minister of fisheries and the
\ncommunications minister to also meet the Vice President,\" Bambang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He further contended that Megawati has yet to respond to the
\nappointment of National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Chaeruddin
\nIsmail and Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
\nSecurity Affairs Agum Gumelar.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I know she never said anything about the
\nappointment of the officials,\" Bambang said, adding that Megawati
\nwould most likely accept the deputy police chief should he ask to
\nhave a meeting with her.<\/p>\n
Bambang reiterated that Megawati's absence from the Cabinet
\nmeeting on Thursday was due to an engagement she had scheduled
\nfor the day well in advance, and that the invitation for the
\nmeeting only arrived on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n
He said Megawati would attend the next Cabinet meeting and
\ncontinue arranging coordination meetings on the economy and
\npolitics as usual.<\/p>\n
Bambang further said that Wednesday's breakfast meeting
\nbetween the President and Vice President did not take place
\n\"because the two coordinating ministers did not report anything\".<\/p>\n
\"So what could be discussed or decided in the breakfast?\"
\nBambang countered. (dja\/rms\/nur\/02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-forms-team-to-lobby-big-parties-1447893297",
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