Gus Dur, Mega discuss security<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Top state officials met here on Wednesday to
\ndiscuss security ahead of the April 30 House of Representatives
\n(DPR) plenary session, which will decide whether to issue the
\nsecond memorandum of censure against President Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The meeting took place as hundreds of members of the ready-to-
\ndie force in East Java were defying police orders to discontinue
\n"war-training" to defend Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
"The meeting was to discuss the general security situation
\nahead of (the DPR plenary session) on April 30," presidential
\nspokesman Wimar Witoelar said.<\/p>\n
"The fact is there has been no violence (so far) and efforts
\nwill be taken to prevent any. No one has any interest in
\nconflict."<\/p>\n
Wimar was speaking after a luncheon at Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri's official residence in Central Jakarta, which was
\nattended by the President, top military and police officials and
\nkey Cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's supporters are expected to stream into Jakarta
\non April 29 to join a mass prayer in support of the President.
\nPolice have also asked the event's organizers, Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU), either to bring forward or delay the prayers for security
\nconcerns.<\/p>\n
Police in Jakarta have begun weapons checks at entry points to
\nthe city in an attempt to prevent violence ahead of the crucial
\nplenary session.<\/p>\n
Those arriving at bus terminals, train stations, harbors and
\nmain roads would all be checked, a Jakarta police spokesman said
\nearlier in the week.<\/p>\n
Jakarta police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said on
\nWednesday that around 10,000 police personnel would be deployed
\nto maintain security in the capital city on April 29. The number,
\nhe said, could be increased to 18,000 on April 30.<\/p>\n
Fears that the President's supporters would also descend upon
\nthe DPR building on April 30 had prompted several legislators to
\ncall on the House leaders to relocate the plenary session
\noutside the capital.<\/p>\n
House speaker Akbar Tandjung flatly dismissed the suggestion
\non Wednesday, saying that the House plenary session "will stay in
\nJakarta".<\/p>\n
"It did not even cross my mind to hold the plenary session
\noutside the DPR building, let alone outside the capital," Akbar,
\nwho also chairs Golkar party, said.<\/p>\n
He said that he had written a formal request for a security
\nguarantee to the city police.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Governor Hamengkubuwono X said earlier in the day
\nthat his city was ready to host the DPR plenary session, should
\nHouse leaders decide to move it outside the capital.<\/p>\n
The proposal to hold the plenary session outside Jakarta was
\nfirst mooted on Tuesday by Arifin Panigoro, leader of Megawati's
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction at the DPR.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the end of a two-day meeting between several
\nlegislators critical of Abdurrahman on the resort island of Bali,
\nArifin said the House plenary could be moved to the West Java
\ncapital of Bandung.<\/p>\n
He then claimed that at least seven House factions had agreed
\nto issue the second memorandum against Abdurrahman on April 30.<\/p>\n
Akbar denied the suggestion, saying that no agreement had been
\nreached between the House factions on whether or not to issue the
\nsecond memorandum against the President.<\/p>\n
He admitted, however, that the mood during the two-day talks
\nin Bali was "moving toward that direction (of issuing the second
\nmemorandum)."<\/p>\n
"There hasn't been any formal agreement, because the factions'
\nfinal stance will be decided by their respective leaders," Akbar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He added that Golkar's final stand on the matter was being
\ndrafted by an 11-member team. The draft, he said, would be
\npresented to the party's leaders on Monday.<\/p>\n
If Abdurrahman's response to a second memorandum fails to
\nappease the legislators, a special session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly could be convened by August to impeach him.<\/p>\n
The House first rebuked the President on Feb. 1 over his
\nalleged involvement in two financial scandals. In his response,
\nAbdurrahman vowed stricter measures against corruption, including
\na proposal to reverse the burden of proof for suspects in
\ncorruption cases.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP) legislator who attended the
\nBali meeting, Bachtiar Chamsyah, said on Wednesday that the
\ninformal talks also focused on how to build a clean and strong
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
"The country is in a state of emergency, particularly from the
\nsecurity point of view, due, among other things, to economic
\nhardship," said Bachtiar, who chaired the House special committee
\ninvestigating the financial scandals that implicated the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
He defended a plan to hand the President a second rebuke,
\nsaying that no improvement in the security and economic fields
\nhad been made since the first memorandum had been issued.<\/p>\n
He said Abdurrahman's government in fact lacked legitimacy
\nbecause of economic and legal uncertainties. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-mega-discuss-security-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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