Gus Dur sets three issues for 'summit'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has
\nproposed that the planned meeting between the country's top
\nleaders include discussions on security, law enforcement and the
\neconomic crisis, a right activist said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Secretary-General of the Center for Democracy, Human Rights
\nand Environment Studies Abdy Kusumanegara said Abdurrahman had
\ncome up with the list during the group's meeting with the
\nPresident at Bina Graha presidential office on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said earlier this month he hoped to meet with his
\ndeputy Megawati Soekarnoputri, Chairman of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais, and House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung to seek ways to
\nresolve the country's political impasse.<\/p>\n
The President said last week that "in principal" the four
\nleaders had agreed to meet, but "no date has been set yet as
\neveryone is busy".<\/p>\n
Many have been skeptical of the significance of such a meeting
\nas Abdurrahman has so far not come up with a precise agenda.<\/p>\n
"The agenda is not clear. There have been meetings before but
\nno follow-ups," former justice minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told
\nreporters on the sidelines of a seminar on Monday.<\/p>\n
Yusril's statement came against the backdrop of a fresh
\nproposal from Akbar that there should be "a preliminary talk" to
\nset agendas for the "summit meeting".<\/p>\n
"We should have a brainstorming session and see from there
\nwhich topics could be discussed at the follow-up meeting," Akbar
\nsaid later on Monday.<\/p>\n
He also said that there should be "no time restriction"
\nallotted for the dialog so that "we can discuss all the problems
\nfacing the country".<\/p>\n
Akbar proposed earlier that the planned meeting be focused on
\na power-sharing scheme, through which Abdurrahman takes a
\nbackseat and hands over the day-to-day running of the government
\nto Megawati. Akbar also said there was a possibility of the House
\ndropping its plan to hand down the President a second rebuke in a
\nsession scheduled for the end of this month if the four-party
\nmeeting agreed on a power-sharing formula.<\/p>\n
The President, however, rejected the proposal saying that the
\nmove was unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
Demands for Abdurrahman's resignation have been rife due to
\nhis erratic style of leadership and ineffective government.<\/p>\n
In Denpasar, Bali, MPR Speaker Amien, who also chairs the
\nNational Mandate Party, said the meeting between the country's
\nfour leaders should result in an agreement on an MPR special
\nsession to seek a solution to the crises facing the nation.<\/p>\n
"If all the nation's leaders agree to the special session, God
\nwilling, there will be no obstacles standing in the path of the
\ncountry's democratization process," Amien said in his opening
\nspeech of PAN's three-day executive meeting.<\/p>\n
He said he supported the proposed dialog "as long as it
\ndoesn't damage the ongoing constitutional process at the DPR and
\nMPR".<\/p>\n
Indicating that the planned forum was prone to backroom deals,
\nhe said that through the MPR session a collective solution to the
\ncountry's problems could be sought.<\/p>\n
Attending the opening ceremony were representatives of eight
\nfactions from the House, who earlier in the day met for informal
\ntalks to discuss several national issues and ways to solve the
\ncountry's multifaceted crisis.<\/p>\n
Party representatives included Hatta Rajasa and Alvin Lie of
\nthe Reform faction, Syamsul Mu'arif of the Golkar Party, Arifin
\nPanigoro of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Ali
\nMarwan Hanan of the United Development Party, Ahmad Sumargono of
\nthe Crescent Star Party, Sutradara Gintings from the Unity and
\nNationhood faction and Mudahan Hasbi of the Daulat Ummat Party.
\nAlso attending was the deputy secretary-general of Abdurrahman's
\nNational Awakening Party, Suseno Yusuf.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the meeting discussed the possibility of
\ngranting a second memorandum to President Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nAlvin said that "the memorandum issue is a small issue compared
\nto the threat of national disintegration and the current domestic
\neconomic crisis."<\/p>\n
"On the matter concerning the second memorandum, I think each
\nfaction has a clear view on that and so need not be discussed,"
\nAlvin added. (byg\/hdn\/dja\/edt\/zen)<\/p>",
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