Opposition figures' stances on special session differ<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Major parties are spilt over the possibility of
\nexpediting the People's Consultative Assembly's special session
\nfollowing the President's latest move to dismiss the National
\nPolice chief after reshuffling the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung said it was possible to
\naccelerate the special session should the President continue to
\nviolate regulations and ignore warnings from the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
Akbar reminded that ahead of the special session, the
\nPresident should take measures that would create a conducive
\nclimate instead of confusion that would only provoke further
\npolitical tension.<\/p>\n
\"We are all disappointed with the President as he always makes
\nirresponsible remarks and accusations. Such actions show that he
\nis not a good president, and we want a good president,\" Akbar
\nsaid in Magelang, Central Java, on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nconsidered President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to abruptly
\nreshuffle the Cabinet last Friday as insufficient reason to
\nexpedite the special session.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Monday, PDI Perjuangan deputy
\nsecretary-general Pramono Anung said the party would stick to the
\nconstitutional process, which requires two months of preparation
\nfor a special session.<\/p>\n
\"We would never violate the Constitution, so we will wait the
\ntwo months for the special session,\" Pramono said.<\/p>\n
However, he further said that the party considered the Cabinet
\nreshuffle was simply to fulfill the short-term political
\ninterests of the President.<\/p>\n
\"We respected that shaking up the Cabinet is the President's
\nprerogative, but the reshuffle should improve the government's
\nperformance, not fulfill certain political interests of the
\nPresident,\" Pramono said.<\/p>\n
He underlined that Megawati had not been informed about the
\nreshuffle and was never asked for an opinion concerning the move.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman will be asked for his accountability at the
\nAssembly special session on Aug. 1. Should his accountability be
\nrejected, Abdurrahman will be replaced by Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Separately, in Semarang, Abdurrahman's brother Salahuddin
\nWahid said that as a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) follower, Abdurrahman
\nshould accept the reality of impeachment at the upcoming special
\nsession.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman chaired the NU for 15 consecutive years before he
\nwas elected president in 1999.<\/p>\n
\"If Gus Dur should step down then we should consider it fate,
\nas he never had the intention of becoming the president in the
\nfirst place,\" Salahuddin said.<\/p>\n
He further said that NU followers should stay calm and leave
\nthe political process to the Assembly. (har\/dja)<\/p>",
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