Gus Dur says three more ministers could resign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid suggested on
\nSaturday that three of his ministers allegedly involved in graft
\nwould be better off resigning rather than risk being dragged to
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the Attorney General's Office was
\ninvestigating the ministers involved and if there was sufficient
\nevidence the president said he would directly ask them to resign.<\/p>\n
Without identifying who they were, Abdurrahman said the
\nattorney general could push for a trial.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters, Abdurrahman said that a minister tried
\nby a court would be suspended, and if found guilty would lose his
\nCabinet post.<\/p>\n
"Or there is another way that means not dragging it through
\ncourt, which is resigning," the President said<\/p>\n
"The egg has hatched. Pak Hamzah Haz has resigned, that's
\nthat. The others can also resign if they want. An excuse can
\nalways be found, that's easy," he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
"You know secretly that there is another three candidates (for
\nresignation) ... whom, after I receive evidence from Attorney
\nGeneral Marzuki (Darusman), I will summon (and ask) 'do you want
\nto resign or not? Here is the evidence'."<\/p>\n
Rumors of investigations into several ministers has been
\nswirling for over a month.<\/p>\n
The sudden resignation of former coordinating minister for
\npeople's welfare and poverty eradication Hamzah Haz raised
\nsuspicion as to Hamzah's possible involvement in graft despite
\nrepeated denials by the United Development Party chairman.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office is reportedly conducting an
\ninvestigation into several minister allegedly involved in graft.<\/p>\n
The names of two of the initial ministers supposedly being
\ninvestigated were Hamzah and Minister of Law and Legislation
\nYusril Ihza Mahendra.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman recently announced Yusril was currently not being
\ninvestigated.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's remarks on Saturday came as he responded to
\njournalists' questions about Minister of Industry and Trade Jusuf
\nKalla, who was also rumored of being investigated.<\/p>\n
"I just follow what the attorney general says," he replied.<\/p>\n
He met the media after the official announcement of the lineup
\nfor the National Economic Council headed by Emil Salim. Saturday
\nwas Abdurrahman's first day back in office after a three-day
\nvisit to China.<\/p>\n
As if trying to deflect controversy away from himself,
\nAbdurrahman, in full candor, said the Cabinet composition was the
\nresult of "horse-trading", with some ministers selected whom he
\nhardly even knew.<\/p>\n
"There are ministers that I just met, that I don't know ... It
\nwas horse-trading to the fullest".<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has said he accepted many based on recommendations
\nand "guarantees" from people like People's Consultative Assembly
\nSpeaker and "axis force" protagonist Amien Rais, Golkar Party
\nchairman Akbar Tandjung, then Indonesian Military commander Gen.
\nWiranto and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
But his latest revelation indicated that he would have
\npreferred not to have many of them in his 35-member Cabinet.<\/p>\n
"So Pak Amien, Pak Akbar, Pak Wiranto, Mbak Mega and myself
\nwere trading cattle, thus as a result you have a Cabinet like
\nthis. Originally the Cabinet only comprised 18 people and I
\ncarefully selected them," he claimed.<\/p>\n
"This is what it's like to sell cows," he said metaphorically.<\/p>\n
"In the past it was great because you had the market to
\nyourself, but now you have to trade with others".<\/p>\n
When queried on the possibility of a presidential pardon,
\nAbdurrahman retorted: "I will only ask for clemency for two
\npeople: Pak Harto and Pak Habibie".<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman also lauded his successive trips overseas.<\/p>\n
He claimed that he had gained many economic commitments both
\nin terms of investment and a team to help look into Indonesia's
\neconomic plight.<\/p>\n
He noted that a Japanese delegation led by former deputy
\nforeign minister Noburo Matsunaga would be arriving soon while
\nSingapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong would be arriving here
\nwith a group of businessmen on Dec. 14.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman also claimed that Israel had "quietly" agreed to
\ninvest US$200 million in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"But I called them and they themselves agreed not to directly
\ninvest, but rather do it through a third party. They agreed to do
\nit through a Dutch or U.S. company," he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
This latest revelation could spark further controversy as
\nthere was widespread protests when Abdurrahman initially
\nexpressed a desire to open trade ties with Israel.<\/p>\n
Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish
\nstate because Indonesia supports the Palestinian state. (mds\/prb)<\/p>",
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