House members split on date of plenary session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With the summit of the G-15 drawing nearer, the
\nHouse of Representatives remains split on whether they will
\nreschedule an all important plenary session which coincides with
\nthe head of states meeting.<\/p>\n
The House is set to convene a plenary session to discuss the
\nnext step of the memorandum process against the President at the
\nend of the month, while the G-15 summit has been penciled in for
\nMay 30-31.<\/p>\n
House speaker Akbar Tandjung and the House Consultative Body
\n(Bamus) remain at odds at whether the legislature should
\nacquiesce to the government's appeal to postpone the hearings.<\/p>\n
Akbar said he \"understands\" the need to delay the plenary
\nsession \"for a couple of days.\"<\/p>\n
We do not see any problem with that,\" Akbar remarked on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
\"We know that we have to host the important summit...We ask
\nthe government to send an official letter signed by the President
\nso we can rearrange the schedule,\" Akbar remarked.<\/p>\n
But the House's Consultative Body seemed to be less willing to
\nbend.<\/p>\n
During the body's meeting chaired by House deputy speaker A.M.
\nFatwa of the Reform faction on Thursday, May 30 was set as the
\ndate for the plenary session.<\/p>\n
The plenary session could determine the fate of embattled
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid as it could call on the People's
\nConsultative Assembly to convene a special session.<\/p>\n
The G-15 comprises Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt,
\nIndia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria,
\nPeru, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
\"I know that the Bamus meeting, led by one of the deputy
\nspeakers, has determined the date but they have yet to receive an
\nofficial letter from the President. When we receive the letter we
\nwill consider resetting the schedule,\" Akbar said while adding
\nthat he had also informed the meeting of the possible clash of
\ndates.<\/p>\n
Fatwa, known to be a harsh critic of the President, later on
\nFriday dismissed suggestions to reschedule the plenary session as
\nan attempt to give the President more time to maneuver during his
\ntime of crisis.<\/p>\n
\"It is clearly stipulated that the President has only one
\nmonth after the second censure and that falls exactly on May 30.
\nSo, according to regulation we have to convene the session on
\nthat date,\" Fatwa remarked.<\/p>\n
An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The
\nJakarta Post that a draft of the request letter had been
\nsubmitted to the State Secretary for President Abdurrahman to
\nsign.<\/p>\n
\"It had been decided in the last Cabinet meeting on Saturday
\nthat we will send the request letter signed by the President as
\nsoon as possible,\" the official said. (dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-members-split-on-date-of-plenary-session-1447893297",
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