MPR's call for calm gets cool response<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A unified stance proclaimed on Sunday by all 11
\nfactions of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to reduce
\nmounting political tensions got mixed reactions from observers
\nwith some saying it would help strengthen the plunging rupiah and
\nothers describing it as having little impact.<\/p>\n
Senior political observer Soedjati Djiwandono said on Monday
\nthat he doubted the statement would have any significant impact
\non the escalating political tension.<\/p>\n
The joint statement, he said, confirmed that there has been
\nsimmering divisions among the country's top political leaders.<\/p>\n
\"The fact that they felt they needed to meet together means it
\nis exactly the opposite ... if they were really united, they
\nshould have remained as they were. They didn't have to prove to
\nthe people they are united by getting together like that,\"
\nSoedjati told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.<\/p>\n
He also said it was difficult to understand the meeting
\nbecause \"what they say is not necessarily what they think\".<\/p>\n
The factions said in a four-point statement that a deliberate
\neffort to reduce political tension was necessary because the
\ntension is detrimental to the country's efforts to recover from
\nmultidimensional crises.<\/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
Abdurrahman is due to appear before the Assembly in August to
\naccount for his turbulent ten-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
\"The MPR can do anything, but in principal, the August meeting
\nis not an extraordinary meeting and yet it could developed into
\nthat if the members are not happy with the answers given by the
\nPresident .... the possibility is there but I don't think it is
\nlikely,\" Soedjati said.<\/p>\n
Despite the conciliatory tone of Sunday's joint statement, a
\ndirect assurance that the Assembly would not attempt or begin an
\nimpeachment of the President during the session was conspicuously
\nmissing.<\/p>\n
The statement also fell short of declaring support for
\nAbdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Soedjati said the direct assurance was not put into the
\nstatement as \"they didn't want to be committed by that\".<\/p>\n
He added that \"having a change of government at this stage
\nwould be too costly for the nation\".<\/p>\n
\"We can't afford that because the problems we face would be
\ndifficult for any government ... whoever the leader. The task is
\nreally tough,\" Soedjati said.<\/p>\n
\"What we need now is to continue to give him reasonable
\nsupport. But he should strengthen his Cabinet. He should appoint
\npeople that he can really trust and who can work as a good team
\nwith coordination and real order of priorities.\"<\/p>\n
Another observer, Rubiyanto Misman, rector of General
\nSoedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java, echoed
\nSoedjati's sentiments.<\/p>\n
\"I think impeachment is not the best solution. It would only
\nprovoke disorder rather than stability,\" Rubiyanto said.<\/p>\n
He noted that people had to keep in mind that Abdurrahman has
\nhuge base support.<\/p>\n
He called on politicians not to let political ambitions get
\nthe best of them and to put state interests at the fore.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Cornelis Lay of Gadjah Mada University in
\nYogyakarta believes that the show of unity by Assembly members
\nwill help ease political tensions that have seeped through to
\npeople's daily life.<\/p>\n
\"The call will give a positive impact to the market and the
\npublic. It will help the rupiah rebound soon, or at least stop it
\nfrom sinking further,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he said it will have no direct political implications
\non the Assembly. \"It will not influence the MPR session next
\nmonth. The session will occur as it should.\"<\/p>\n
Possibly the most important lesson to be learned from the
\nrecent heightened political tension is that politicians should be
\nmore wary of their actions.<\/p>\n
\"We hope politicians and legislators can go away having
\nlearned they shouldn't play the market by conducting
\nirresponsible political acts,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\nreiterated on Monday that the August session would not become a
\nspecial session.<\/p>\n
\"So, I call on all parties not too worry about that,\" Akbar,
\nwho also chairs Golkar Party, said.<\/p>\n
However, he said that a special session of the Assembly could
\nbe convened whenever the House considers that a president has
\nviolated the Constitution and State Guidelines.
\n(44\/byg\/har\/jun\/sur)<\/p>",
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