MPR finishes drafting decrees<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)'s
\nworking committee have completed drafting decrees relating to
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid accountability, accommodating all
\nscenarios including a possible conditional acceptance.<\/p>\n
Committee members however were quick to dispel talk that the
\ndrafting of a decree on an \"acceptance with terms\", aside from
\nthe conventional \"acceptance\" or \"rejection\", was a further sign
\nthat a political compromise to prolong Abdurrahman's embattled
\npresidency was in the works.<\/p>\n
\"What we're preparing are technical and administrative
\nmatters, so that in case we need those decrees we're prepared,\"
\nCommittee chairman Jacob Tobing told The Jakarta Post on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
\"Beside we should not adopt a negative judgment over the
\naccountability.\"<\/p>\n
Apart from those three decrees, the working committee also
\nworked on decrees on the appointment of the vice president as the
\nnew president, and for the election of a new vice president.<\/p>\n
The Assembly is set to convene a special session on Aug. 1 to
\nask for the President's accountability.<\/p>\n
If the accountability is rejected Abdurrahman would lose his
\nmandate as president.<\/p>\n
While Abdurrahman's fate looks grim, there have been
\nincreasing signs of a political compromise which could save his
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Many were quick to point to the drafting of a conditional
\nacceptance decree as evidence of this, particularly since
\ninternal rules only require two alternatives in responding to the
\naccountability: to either accept or reject it.<\/p>\n
But just what exactly the \"terms\" would be under a conditional
\nacceptance remains unclear as the draft itself leaves this
\nportion blank.<\/p>\n
This draft decree was initially proposed by members of the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), the strongest supporters of
\nAbdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Jacob, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislator,
\nmaintained that \"this is not related to any compromise\",
\ncontending that it was merely \"a modification of the acceptance.\"<\/p>\n
Another member of the working committee, Hamdan Zoelva of the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB), also claimed that this additional
\noption was merely to accommodate all possibilities.<\/p>\n
Lobby<\/p>\n
Separately Minister of Defense Mahfud MD said on Wednesday
\nthat the team of ministers assigned by the President to lobby
\nmajor political parties has completed its work and handed over
\nits reports to the President.<\/p>\n
Mahfud, however, declined to go into details saying only that
\n\"a peaceful solution is still possible.\"<\/p>\n
\"The Assembly's special session is an unavoidable event. It
\nwill be more appropriate for us to focus on the outcome of the
\nspecial session, in which all political elements in the country
\ncan meet to compromise,\" Mahfud said.<\/p>\n
Mahfud further hinted that compromise is essentially a
\ndistribution of power between the President, the Vice President,
\nand other political parties.<\/p>\n
Mahfud along with Coordinating Minister for Political, Social
\nand Security Affairs Agum Gumelar, Minister of Finance Rizal
\nRamli and Attorney General Baharuddin Lopa have been instructed
\nto lobby strong political factions such as PDI Perjuangan, Golkar
\nand the Axis Force to seek a compromise.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile during a visit to Pasuruan, East Java, Abdurrahman
\nreiterated his defiance saying that he was not required to
\npresent his accountability to the Assembly till the end of his
\nterm in 2004.<\/p>\n
He maintained that the move to seek his accountability was
\nunconstitutional and that he would fight it.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a religious school, Abdurrahman told his
\nsupporters to remain calm and not be influenced by the friction
\namong political leaders.<\/p>\n
East Java is known as the bastion of support for Nahdlatul
\nUlama and the President. Abdurrahman led the Muslim organization
\nfor 15 years before becoming President. (02\/nur\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-finishes-drafting-decrees-1447893297",
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