President's performance gets failing grade<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Major factions at the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) expressed on Monday their disappointment over President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's performance, especially his controversial
\nstatements, in the last three months after the House issued the
\nfirst memorandum of censure against the embattled President.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nfaction in their general evaluation of Abdurrahman's performance
\nunderlined that the President's attitudes, policies and
\nstatements were closely related to his response to the first
\nmemorandum.<\/p>\n
\"We strongly regret the President's remarks claiming that
\nthere would be a national rebellion following the issuance of the
\nsecond memorandum and that five regions would separate from the
\ncountry if he resigned,\" spokeswoman of the PDI Perjuangan
\nfaction Dwi Ria Latifa said.<\/p>\n
The faction noted that according to the presidential oath
\nstipulated in Article 9 of the 1945 Constitution, the president
\nwill maintain the unity of the country and not provoke
\nseparation.<\/p>\n
\"The (President's) statement was totally in contradiction with
\nhis obligation to maintain the country's unity and protect all
\nIndonesian citizens,\" she said, adding that the faction also
\ndoubted the intention of the President to really eradicate
\ncorruption in the country.<\/p>\n
The faction also called on the country to concentrate on
\nefforts to settle the current crisis without further jeopardizing
\nthe country's interests.<\/p>\n
\"It will be only fair to return honor and justice to the one
\nwho had the constitutional right with truthfulness and common
\nsense,\" Latifa said, while referring to her party which won the
\nlast general election in 1999.<\/p>\n
Golkar Party faction, in its general view read out by
\nlegislator Ibnu Munzir, also underlined that the President's
\nremarks in the past three months were \"controversial and
\nprovoking anarchy among the people\".<\/p>\n
\"At the same time, we see continuing riots that have
\nthreatened the unity of the country on a more massive scale ...
\nwhile one of the President's obligations is to protect the
\nnation,\" Ibnu told the session.<\/p>\n
He said Golkar doubted the President's intention to eliminate
\ncorruption as many of the corruption cases remained unsettled.<\/p>\n
The United Development Party (PPP) faction shared the same
\nopinion as the first two factions, saying that the government had
\nyet to make substantial changes in its administrative management.<\/p>\n
\"The President has wasted a golden opportunity in the last
\nthree months to improve the performance of his government after
\nthe issuance of the first memorandum,\" PPP faction spokesman
\nSukardi Harun said in the session.<\/p>\n
Apart from the three largest factions in the House, the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI)\/Police faction chose not to join the
\nchorus, but asked the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to
\nsettle the ongoing political crisis.<\/p>\n
Previously, the TNI\/Police faction joined the major House
\nfactions when they issued the first memorandum against the
\nPresident on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n
Spokesman of the faction Ronggo Soenarso said the issuance of
\nthe first memorandum had incited conflicts of interest in the
\nHouse which was followed by physical conflict among the populace.<\/p>\n
\"In an effort to end the (political) crisis, we think that all
\nparties should end conflict and engage in dialog,\" Soenarso said,
\nwhile adding that if dialog cannot settle the current political
\ncrisis, the People's Consultative Assembly should find the
\nsolution to it.<\/p>\n
The faction cited that many parties in the country had
\nviolated democratic political norms. He urged that all political
\nmaneuvers and decisions should be taken while keeping in mind the
\ncountry's interests.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, opposition to the issuance of the second memorandum
\nwas raised by the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction and the
\nLove the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), the two parties which
\nalso rejected the issuance of the first memorandum. (dja\/rms)<\/p>",
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