Six factions draft 2nd memorandum<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): While implying that President Abdurrahman Wahid
\nhas yet to respond seriously to the first memorandum of censure
\nissued by the House of Representatives (DPR), six House factions
\nhave drafted a second memorandum, although the President has yet
\nto reply to the first one.<\/p>\n
The six factions are: the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the Reform Faction,
\nthe United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB)
\nand the United Daulatul Ummah (PDU) Faction.<\/p>\n
\"The content of the second memorandum will be discussed in the
\nHouse leadership meeting and will further be discussed in the
\nHouse plenary session for approval,\" Deputy House Speaker
\nSoetardjo Soerjogoeritno told a media conference after receiving
\nthe drafts from the six factions.<\/p>\n
The drafts were submitted by chairman of the PDI Perjuangan
\nfaction Arifin Panigoro and secretary Heri Akhmadi, chairman of
\nGolkar faction Syamsul Muarif and secretary Daryatmo Mardiyanto,
\nchairman of PPP faction Ali Marwan Hanan, chairman of Reform
\nfaction Hatta Rajasa, chairman of PBB faction Achmad Sumargono
\nand chairman of PDU faction Achmad Satari.<\/p>\n
Soetardjo said the six factions also questioned the incidents
\nlast Thursday and Friday when pro-Abdurrahman supporters
\nforcefully entered the closed-door meeting of the House
\nConsultative Body (Bamus), led by deputy House Speaker A.M.
\nFatwa.<\/p>\n
When asked why the House has drafted the second memorandum
\nwhile the President has yet to reply to the first, Soetardjo said
\nthe President does not have to answer the memorandum, the reply
\nto which will not be a binding commitment on the House.<\/p>\n
Soetardjo was referring to the MPR Decree No. III\/MPR\/1978.<\/p>\n
Arifin Panigoro said his faction had noted that President
\nAbdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid had lost his \"sense of crisis\" ever
\nsince the issuance of the first memorandum on Feb. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Achmad Sumargono said Gus Dur had yet to show some
\nimprovement.<\/p>\n
Hatta Rajasa said Abdurrahman was serious in responding to the
\nfirst memorandum.<\/p>\n
\"The move by the six House factions was an indicator that they
\nwill push for the issuance of the second memorandum,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He shared Soetardjo's statement that there was no obligation
\nfor the President to reply to the memorandum.<\/p>\n
\"Even if the President replies to the memorandum, it will be
\nup to each faction to give a response (to the reply),\" Hatta
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D. said on Monday that
\nAbdurrahman's reply to the House memorandum which censures the
\nPresident over the two financial scandals is expected to tell
\n\"the facts\" of the case.<\/p>\n
\"The reply will tell \"the hidden facts\" in contrast to the
\nfacts referred to by the House's special committee. Just wait and
\nsee,\" Mahfud said.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur has formed a team led by Coordinating Minister for
\nPolitical, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nto draft the reply. The team consists of Coordinating Minister
\nfor Economic Affairs Rizal Ramli, Minister of Home Affairs and
\nRegional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja, Minister of Human Rights
\nBaharuddin Lopa, Minister of Finance Prijadi Praptosuhardjo, and
\nMahfud himself.<\/p>\n
\"We submitted the draft of the reply to the President today
\n(Monday). There are six issues mentioned in the reply, including
\nthe scandals and their legal status.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur will, of course, deny involvement in the scandals,\"
\nMahfud said.<\/p>\n
Separately, a member of the special committee for the Bulog
\nand Brunei scandals, Alvin T. Lee, from the Reform faction said
\nin Yogyakarta on Monday that President Abdurrahman's formal reply
\nwas meaningless as the President has yet to show better
\nperformance by his administration.<\/p>\n
Alvin said the President even continued telling lies to
\npeople, among other things, in the President's recent explanation
\nof a US$300,000 scandal involving the state airline Garuda
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"The President's answer is meaningless for us (DPR members)...
\nHe continues giving false information to the public as to what he
\ndid in the Brunei scandal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that memorandum of censure was basically a warning to
\nthe President to correct his past mistakes.<\/p>\n
\"The President does not have to make a formal reply to the
\nmemorandum as long as he does not repeat his mistakes,\" Alvin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Alvin added that the House would ask for an explanation over
\nthe alleged misuse of money during the President's recent
\noverseas trip.<\/p>\n
He said the House would ask the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to
\naudit the state secretariat and presidential secretariat
\nregarding the \"Garudagate\" affair. (02\/44\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/six-factions-draft-2nd-memorandum-1447893297",
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