MPR ready for snap special session<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly
\nmade preparations on Thursday evening for a snap special session,
\ncalling on members to be ready to convene here at short notice.<\/p>\n
\"The convening of the special session is only a matter of
\nhours, no longer days, away,\" Amien told journalists, after
\nattending a meeting of Assembly leaders and faction leaders of
\nthe House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
\"So I warn Assembly members to be alert during the coming
\ndays...please don't fall asleep,\" he added.<\/p>\n
All Assembly members were instructed to make immediate
\npreparations to come to the capital. Those who were already here
\nwere barred from leaving town.<\/p>\n
Assembly Faction chiefs were also instructed to contact their
\nmembers as part of these preparations.<\/p>\n
The sudden acceleration of activity was spurred on Thursday
\nafternoon by news that President Abdurrahman Wahid had instructed
\nthe arrest of Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro, whom the
\nPresident had dismissed.<\/p>\n
The Assembly is set to convene a special session on Aug. 1 to
\nseek the President's accountability. If the accountability is
\nrejected, Abdurrahman could be removed from office.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has thus far been defiant and warned that he would
\nimpose a state of emergency and dissolve the legislature if they
\nseek his accountability.<\/p>\n
Several factions have proposed that the special session be
\nhastened from its current schedule. During a meeting on Monday
\nthe Assembly agreed to hand the Assembly leaders the prerogative
\nto call a plenary session to convene a snap special session.<\/p>\n
Amien has also warned that if the President imposes a state of
\nemergency the Assembly could convene a special session within a
\nmatter of days.<\/p>\n
Also present, accompanying Amien on Thursday, were Nazri
\nAdlani of the Interest Group faction, M. Husni Thamrin of the
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) faction, Soetjipto of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, Matori
\nAbdul Djalil of the National Awakening Party faction, Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita of the Regional Representative faction, and Lt. Gen.
\nHary Sabarno of the Indonesian Military\/Police faction.<\/p>\n
Representing the House factions were Arifin Panigoro and
\nJulius Usman of the PDI-P faction; Achmad Sumargono of the
\nCrescent Star Party faction; Syamsul Muarif, Fahmi Idris, Freddy
\nLatumahina, Rambe Kamarulzaman, Daryatmo of the Golkar Party
\nfaction; Alvin Lie of the Reform faction; and Mudahan Hazdi of
\nthe United Ummat Sovereignty faction.<\/p>\n
\"Assembly leaders have concluded that Gus Dur's (latest)
\nmaneuvers are a threat to the safety of this country and is
\ndriving it to disintegration,\" Amien remarked.<\/p>\n
\"What has been going on in our National Police is only one
\nexample of his confused decision making.\"<\/p>\n
Amien urged the President to cease making further
\ncontroversial and politically risky moves, as they would only
\naggravate the situation further.<\/p>\n
He also called on the general public to remain calm and
\nentrust their elected representatives to resolve the political
\nimpasse in a constitutional manner.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung once again
\ninsisted that despite having \"furtively\" met Abdurrahman on
\nTuesday, he had made no compromises and that his party, Golkar,
\nwould stand by its support of the decision to convene a special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
\"No one has ever said that the meeting (with the President)
\nwould affect the special session. As I have said before, the
\nspecial session must be held to find a solution to this political
\ndeadlock, in order to find that solution we could meet one
\nanother in an informal manner,\" Akbar remarked.<\/p>\n
Later on Monday, PDI Perjuangan Chairwoman and Vice President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri underlined that there was no choice but to
\nconvene a special session, given the President's actions over the
\npast few weeks.<\/p>\n
\"It is not a sudden decision, it is not a reactive decision,\"
\nMegawati said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the morning, while in Yogyakarta, Amien further
\nsignaled that room for compromise to save Abdurrahman's
\npresidency had vanished despite the President's apparent attempts
\nto meet and sway Akbar and PPP chief Hamzah Haz.<\/p>\n
\"The two (Akbar and Hamzah) are old hacks, they are
\nexperienced politicians who won't easily change the agenda of the
\nspecial session,\" he told reporters, after opening the national
\nmeeting of Muhammadiyah's Tabligh Assembly at Yogyakarta
\nMuhammadiyah University.<\/p>\n
Amien also stressed that the meeting of the three figures was
\ninformal in nature.<\/p>\n
\"Like in a boxing match, they (Akbar and Hamzah) were just
\nclinching their rival to prepare for the real bout at the special
\nsession.\"<\/p>\n
Without elaborating further, Amien said he was assured that
\nAkbar and Hamzah would not \"betray\" the agenda agreed by
\nlegislators.(dja\/tso\/44)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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