President's accountability a must: PDIP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) is pressing ahead with the original agenda of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly special session, namely to ask
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid to account for his government's poor
\nperformance, a party executive said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the PDI Perjuangan faction in the Assembly, Sophan
\nSophiaan, said after the party's weekly executive meeting that
\nAbdurrahman was had no other option than to account for his
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
\"According to the constitution, the Assembly can call the
\nPresident to account at any time. If the President were to defy
\nsuch a request, I think it would mean that maybe he didn't
\nunderstand the constitution,\" Sophan asserted.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said on Saturday that the major parties had agreed
\nnot to touch on four crucial issues during the planned Assembly
\nspecial session, including demanding that he deliver a statement
\nof accountability at the opening of the event on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
\"President Abdurrahman Wahid cannot reject the Assembly's
\ncall ... so there is no choice left to him other than to come and
\npresent his accountability statement,\" he further asserted.<\/p>\n
Sophan added that it had been decided at Tuesday's meeting
\nthat his faction would only recognize a choice between two
\nAssembly draft decrees as the only possible outcome of the
\nevaluation of the President's speech.<\/p>\n
The PDI Perjuangan faction, he said, would not accept any
\nthird option in responding to Abdurrahman's speech.<\/p>\n
\"We will maintain our previous stance and have not yet agreed
\nto the possibility of accepting the President's speech with
\ncertain conditions attached,\" Sophan said.<\/p>\n
He would not comment on whether the planned investigation into
\nalleged graft involving one of the party's executives, Arifin
\nPanigoro, would affect the party's stance.<\/p>\n
\"We always uphold the law and our stance will be decided by
\nthe party executive board later on. The faction simply follows
\norders from the executive board,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono
\nAnung Wibowo revealed that the party's chairwoman and Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri is willing to attend a meeting
\nbetween leaders of political parties and factions in the House of
\nRepresentatives and People's Consultative Assembly, which will be
\nheld two weeks prior to the special session.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu said she would be more than happy to have a meeting with
\nall of the party leaders,\" Pramono said.<\/p>\n
There have been five meetings among secretary-generals of the
\npolitical parties, excluding the National Awakening Party (PKB),
\nto discuss preparations for the Assembly special session.<\/p>\n
\"The last meeting on Monday evening was attended by secretary-
\ngenerals from the five major political parties, minus the PKB.
\nThe absence of the PKB from the meetings was merely due to
\ndifferent perceptions as regards political affairs,\" Pramono
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The parties were the PDI Perjuangan, the Golkar Party, United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP), National Mandate Party (PAN) and the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB).<\/p>\n
Pramono added that all political parties would be invited to
\nthe next meeting.<\/p>\n
\"The upcoming summit is for all political parties in the House
\nof Representatives. All the parties have stated their intention
\nof answering our invitation,\" Pramono remarked.<\/p>\n
With the special session drawing near, the major political
\nparties have preferred to intensify discussions among themselves
\nin a bid to draw up a common agenda in preparation for the
\naftermath of the special session.<\/p>\n
The ongoing lobbying not only involves the parties' joint
\nstance during the special session but also a common platform to
\novercome the political and economic crises.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, political observer Eep Saefulah Fatah said the
\ncoming special session will not result in a solution to the
\ncountry's current crisis if it is focused solely on changing the
\nnational leadership.<\/p>\n
\"I am not optimistic that the coming special session will help
\nresolve the country's problems if it concentrates on forcing a
\ntransfer of power from President Abdurrahman Wahid to Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri,\" Eep told The Jakarta Post on
\nthe sidelines of a seminar in Makassar, South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
He suggested that the coming special session highlight three
\nmajor issues: proper relations between state institutions,
\neffective government and a transitional process involving the
\nleast cost.<\/p>\n
\"The three issues should top the agenda, rather than just
\ntrying to change the president and afterwards distribute the
\nministerial posts up among the political parties,\" Eep said.<\/p>\n
He asserted that even Megawati would be unable to lead the
\ncountry out of the crisis after Abdurrahman's impeachment if
\nthese three key conditions were not met. (27\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/presidents-accountability-a-must-pdip-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}