Legislators unite in call for calm<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): All 11 factions of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) on Sunday declared a unified stance and vowed to
\nreduce mounting political tension ahead of the Assembly's annual
\nsession in August.<\/p>\n
Faction leaders said, in a four-point statement, that the
\nescalating political tension had created \"uncertainties\" that
\nwere detrimental to the country's effort to recover from
\nmultidimensional crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We, therefore, believe that there should be a deliberate
\neffort to reduce political tension among the political elites and
\nthe public,\" Soetjipto, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle faction, said, reading the statement.<\/p>\n
\"The fact that there have been differences of opinion should
\nnot affect (our) commitment to maintain the country's unity,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Besides Soetjipto, the signatories of Sunday's statement were
\nFahmi Idris of the Golkar faction, Ahmad Karmani of the United
\nDevelopment Party faction, Yusuf Muhammad of the National
\nAwakening Party faction, A.M. Luthfi of the Reform faction,
\nHamdan Zulvan of the Crescent Star Party faction, Sutradara
\nGinting of the Indonesian Nationhood faction, Asnawi Latif of the
\nUnited Ummat Sovereignty faction, Manasse Malo of the Love the
\nNation Democratic Party faction, Hari Sabarno of the
\nMilitary\/National Police faction and Marzuki Usman of the Group
\nof Representatives faction.<\/p>\n
The factions also called on the political elites \"to
\nprioritize the interests of the nation and state, and not to put
\ntheir egos and respective interests over the interests of the
\npublic\".<\/p>\n
\"To develop a healthy democracy, all parties should always
\navoid the use of anarchy, mass tyranny and political violence,\"
\nthe statement said.<\/p>\n
The statement came as tension sharpened between the government
\nand the legislature, as well as between the four top political
\nleaders - President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House of the
\nRepresentatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
The political divisiveness was also regarded as a major factor
\nin pressing the rupiah into a 21-month low and weakening share
\nprices at the stock exchange.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman is due to appear before the Assembly in August to
\naccount for his turbulent nine-months in office.<\/p>\n
Speculation is rife that the Assembly could try and topple the
\nPresident during the session despite analysts' predictions that
\nthe likelihood of such a move succeeding is small.<\/p>\n
Despite the consolatory tone of Sunday's joint statement, a
\ndirect assurance that the Assembly would not attempt or begin a
\nprocess of toppling the President during the session was
\nconspicuously missing.<\/p>\n
The statement also fell short of declaring their support for
\nAbdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Amien, who was present on Sunday along with Akbar at the
\nstatement signing ceremony, later explained that both support and
\nopposition towards the President were not clearly stated as
\nfactions did not want to create a perception that \"everything has
\nbeen prepared beforehand\".<\/p>\n
\"So, let's just wait and see, although I am almost sure that
\nthere will no impeachment because I don't see any door or window
\nto that possibility,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
Fahmi Idris remarked that impeachment is not on the session's
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto added that the session was aimed at bolstering the
\nspirit of the state's executor, \"and not to replace the
\nexecutor\".<\/p>\n
\"But that's in the general session, after that I can't say\".<\/p>\n
Meeting<\/p>\n
Meanwhile calls were rising for the four top political leaders
\nto personally meet in order to curb escalating political tension.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting should be held ... at least it will blunt the
\nsharp differences between them,\" leading Muslim intellectual
\nNurcholish Madjid said on the sidelines of a seminar in Semarang,
\nCentral Java, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish was referring to a planned meeting between
\nAbdurrahman, Megawati, Akbar and Amien.<\/p>\n
A high-profile meeting had been postponed at the last minute
\non Wednesday with participants citing conflicting reasons.<\/p>\n
Palace officials cited the busy schedule of each participant,
\nwhile other sources noted Megawati's reticence to take part and
\nAmien's unpreparedness to attend if Megawati was absent.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish said that such a meeting between the politicians,
\nwho have been at odds in recent months, would help reduce
\ndifferences between them.<\/p>\n
\"Their opinions would not necessarily become one but if (the
\nmeeting) can result in the blunting of the sharp differences, it
\nis already a good thing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Another political observer, Azyumardi Azra, rector of the
\nHidayatullah State Islamic Institute of Jakarta, echoed
\nNurcholish's sentiments.<\/p>\n
\"One has to admit that the meeting between the four, if it
\noccurs, will not be some Aladdin's lamp which will resolve all
\nproblems. But at least it will slightly cool the political
\nsituation which has been heating up ahead of the annual
\nconvention of the MPR,\" Azyumardi said.<\/p>\n
The annual session is scheduled to be held on August 7-
\n18.(byg\/har)<\/p>",
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