Gus Dur's accountability 'mandatory'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leading factions at the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) on the opening day of the special session on
\nSaturday were adamant that President Abdurrahman Wahid present
\nhis accountability report on Monday and that his refusal to do so
\nwould only hasten his downfall.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nfaction asserted that the President's accountability report was
\nmandatory under the Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"The President is expected to use the opportunity given to him
\nto deliver his accountability report on Monday. His refusal to do
\nso will certainly add to the list of his violations,\" Sophan
\nSophiaan, PDI Perjuangan faction chairman, said on Saturday
\nnight.<\/p>\n
If the President fails to present his accountability report,
\nVice President Megawati Soekarnoputri will be appointed president
\na few days later.<\/p>\n
The Assembly has given Abdurrahman 9 a.m. until noon on Monday
\nto present his accountability report.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan officials on Saturday said Megawati intended to
\nattend Monday's session in her capacity as vice president,
\nregardless of whether Abdurrahman attended or not.<\/p>\n
After convening a plenary session on Saturday morning to seek
\napproval for the acceleration of the special session, the
\nAssembly in the afternoon declared the special session open.<\/p>\n
First on the agenda is the approval of a single agenda to seek
\nthe President's accountability for his alleged involvement in the
\nBulog and Brunei financial scandals.<\/p>\n
Sophan and fellow PDI Perjuangan faction members Jacob Tobing,
\nPermadi and Sutarto said during a media briefing their party was
\ndetermined to resolve the mounting political conflict.<\/p>\n
\"Our faction's stance is that the Assembly, as the country's
\nhighest legislative body, must resolve all national problems,
\nmainly the mounting tension between the President and the House
\nof Representatives(DPR,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The President must accept the Assembly's decision. That is
\nwhy the President should accept the Assembly's invitation to
\npresent his accountability report on Monday,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"The Assembly will certainly revoke the mandate it gave him
\nduring the 1999 General Session (if he does not present his
\naccountability report). The next step will then be to appoint the
\nVice President as the new president and followed by the election
\na new vice president,\" Sophan said.<\/p>\n
He said PDI Perjuangan, which holds 185 seats in the 700-
\nmember Assembly, was ready to talk with other political parties
\nregarding the next vice president.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Golkar Party faction also warned that
\nAbdurrahman's failure to present his accountability report would
\nonly hasten his downfall.<\/p>\n
\"If the President is absent on Monday, it shows he does not
\nrespect the Assembly. This violation and others will be adequate
\nreason for the Assembly to oust him,\" Golkar Party's Fahmi Idris
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
On the possible vacant vice presidential position, Fahmi said
\nhis party had yet to discuss the matter but was open to
\ncompromise with other parties on the matter.<\/p>\n
Ali Marwan Hanan of the United Development Party (PPP) faction
\nsaid his faction had closed the door on a possible compromise
\nwith the President, pointing to the appointment of Gen.
\nChaeruddin Ismail as caretaker National Police chief on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"He is on the verge of a downfall and most factions are
\nexpected to reject his accountability report anyway,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Support<\/p>\n
Assembly Speaker Amein Rais had earlier said that Chaeruddin's
\nappointment had triggered Assembly leaders to accelerate the
\nspecial session from its original schedule of Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
During the plenary session on Saturday morning 591 of 600
\nAssembly members voted in support of an accelerated special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
Five members of the Societal Group faction rejected the motion
\nand four others abstained.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Military\/National Police
\nfaction Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno pointed out that the faction's
\nposition had been swayed due to its disapproval of Chaeruddin's
\nappointment.<\/p>\n
Another faction member Air Commodore Bachrum Razir said, \"Our
\nfaction supported the accelerated special session because the
\nPresident is becoming strange and he has ignored the Military's
\nsuggestions.\"<\/p>\n
All nine factions during their presentation in the Assembly
\nreferred to Chaeruddin's appointment as one of the reasons for
\ntheir support in convening an accelerated special session.<\/p>\n
They feared the appointment would cause friction among police
\nranks and therefore jeopardize security.<\/p>\n
Rambe Kamarulzaman, spokesman for the Golkar Party faction,
\nsaid Chaeruddin's installment violated Assembly Decree No. 7\/2000
\non the need for the House of Representatives' approval in
\nappointing and dismissing the TNI and National Police chiefs.<\/p>\n
\"Chaeruddin's appointment as National Police chief caretaker
\nimplies a takeover of the police command from National Police
\nchief Gen. Bimantoro and this action will cause serious friction
\nwithin the police organization which can threaten stability and
\nsecurity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other factions that attended the plenary session were PPP, the
\nReform faction, Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction, Societal Group
\nfaction, the Indonesian Nationhood and Unity faction and Ummah
\nSovereignty Party (PDU) faction.<\/p>\n
Conspicuously absent were the National Awakening Party (PKB)
\nand Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) factions, which
\nboycotted the session in support of the President.<\/p>\n
Present, however, was PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil who
\nattended the session in his capacity as Assembly deputy speaker.
\nMatori's presence angered his party members and he was suspended
\nas party chief later in the day.<\/p>\n
The start of the plenary session was marked by a series of
\ninterruptions from regional representatives who demanded the
\nsession approve the reinstatement of their faction which was
\ndissolved in the 1999 General Session. (rms)<\/p>",
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