Impeachment threat likely to materialize<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The impeachment threat against Abdurrahman Wahid
\nlooks likely to materialize as factions at the People's
\nConsultative Assembly agreed almost unanimously on Thursday to
\nask the beleaguered President to deliver his accountability
\nspeech before a plenary session scheduled for Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
Considering the Assembly's reception to the accountability
\nspeech remains unpredictable, 10 factions approved a plan to
\nformulate a decree on the appointment of Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri as the new president.<\/p>\n
The decisions were reached during a meeting of representatives
\nof 11 factions in the Assembly Working Committee, who convened on
\nThursday as they began preparations for the much-awaited special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
\nGolkar Party, United Development Party (PPP), Reform faction,
\nIndonesian Nationhood and Unity faction, Ummat Sovereignty Party
\n(PDU), Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Interest Group
\nrepresentatives faction proposed a plenary session to hear an
\naccountability speech by the President.<\/p>\n
The remaining factions suggested a softer agenda, with the
\nIndonesian Military\/National Police faction proposing a special
\nsession aimed at finding solutions to the political stalemate and
\nthe Love the Nation and Democratic Party (PDKB) faction calling
\nfor compromise seeking efforts.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) faction insisted
\nthat the Assembly turn down the House's demand for the special
\nsession in line with the result of an investigation by the
\nAttorney General's Office, which found no evidence of the
\nPresident's involvement in two financial scandals on which the
\nHouse based its decision to rebuke the head of state.<\/p>\n
Quoting the 1978 MPR decree, the PDI Perjuangan faction said
\nthat the accountability speech was inevitable because the
\nPresident did not heed the House's two memorandums of censure.<\/p>\n
\"The upcoming special session is a continuation of the House's
\ncensure as the President failed to give a satisfactory response
\nto the second memorandum. Therefore, the President must account
\nfor his violations of the Constitution in the special session,\"
\nSterra Pieterzs, spokesman for the PDI Perjuangan faction, said.<\/p>\n
He said the President had violated the presidential oath and
\nthe 1998 MPR decree on clean government because of his
\ninvolvement in the two scandals.<\/p>\n
He said if the President's accountability was accepted, the
\nAssembly should issue a decree to allow him to stay in power.<\/p>\n
\"Adversely, if the President's accountability was rejected,
\nthe special session must decide to impeach him and appoint the
\nVice President to be a new president through a MPR decree,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The faction said the committee should prepare draft decrees on
\nthe President's impeachment and on the appointment of Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri as new president until 2004. It
\ndid not propose a draft decree on the appointment of a new vice
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Sterra said PDI Perjuangan would also support a hastened
\nspecial session if the political and economic situation and
\nsecurity worsened.<\/p>\n
\"It would be possible for PDI Perjuangan to plan a hastened
\nspecial session if the people's suffering in the political,
\neconomic and security fields worsens,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa, spokesman of the Golkar Party faction,
\nsaid that according to his faction, the special agenda's main aim
\nwould be to ask for the President's accountability.<\/p>\n
\"The working committee therefore should prepare a draft decree
\nif the President's accountability is accepted and another one if
\nit is rejected and the President is impeached,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Golkar faction also called on the committee to prepare a
\ndraft decree on the appointment of vice president.<\/p>\n
MPR speaker Amien Rais insisted that Abdurrahman comply with
\nthe assembly's order to present his accountability speech.<\/p>\n
\"His absence will mean disobedience to the state highest
\ninstitution,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Amien would not speculate on whether a hastened schedule would
\nbe possible, but instead repeated that the assembly would stick
\nwith the timeframe stipulated within the decrees.<\/p>\n
The special session is expected to last seven or eight days.<\/p>\n
Following a two-hour discussion between the MPR and faction
\nleaders, the working committee decided to assign Ad Hoc
\nSubcommittee I to prepare two draft decrees on accountability and
\nask Ad Hoc Subcommittee II to prepare a draft decree on the
\nappointment of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri as new
\npresident and another one on the appointment of a new vice
\npresident. (rms)<\/p>",
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