Special session still offers compromise<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The working committee of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly finally dropped on Tuesday the draft of
\nconditional acceptance of President Abdurrahman Wahid's
\naccountability statement, but have kept the possibility of a
\ncompromise wide open.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached by informal talks among the Assembly
\nfactions. Unusually, the decision was swiftly approved by
\nAbdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB) faction.<\/p>\n
\"The ad hoc committee I only brought up two drafts on the
\nacceptance and rejection of the President's accountability
\nspeech, and dismissed the proposal of conditional acceptance,\"
\nAssembly Speaker Amien Rais said at the committee's closing
\nsession.<\/p>\n
\"All notes and considerations from the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) over the conditional acceptance draft will be
\nreported to the Assembly at the coming special session.\"<\/p>\n
The ad hoc committee II, meanwhile, agreed on the draft of the
\nappointment of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri as the new
\npresident and the draft of the appointment of a new vice
\npresident.<\/p>\n
The working committee also approved drafts from the special ad
\nhoc committee deliberating schedule and the time frame of the
\nspecial session, but has left the possibility of changing the
\ntimetable of the special session open.<\/p>\n
A working committee member from PKB, Ali Masykur Moesa, said
\nthat there is the possibility of bringing forward the conditional
\nacceptance draft at the special session, which is scheduled to
\ncommence on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
\"All factions unanimously agreed that our consideration to
\nbring up the conditional acceptance may be needed at the coming
\nspecial session,\" Ali said after the plenary session.<\/p>\n
The Assembly has asked the President to account for his
\nerratic leadership and alleged involvement in two financial
\nscandals.<\/p>\n
This conditional acceptance to the President's accountability
\nwas proposed by the PKB faction in a bid to reach political
\ncompromise in the special session.<\/p>\n
Amien looked happy with the plenary session, calling it the
\nmost democratic one yet.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, we could start the special session tomorrow, but we
\nwant to play it by the book. So, let the days go by until Aug. 1
\nto begin the session,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
At the closing of the session, one of the working committee
\nmembers asked about the possibility of expediting the special
\nsession. Amien, while smiling, responded: \"If you want to hasten
\nthe special session, why don't you just do it yourself?\"<\/p>\n
However, there have been slight mishaps over the financial
\naspects of the special session, as the Assembly has yet to
\nreceive the funds needed to convene the special session.<\/p>\n
However, chairman of House Commission IX for finance Benny
\nPasaribu played down the problem saying that it was merely an
\nadministrative matter now that the government had approved the
\nfunding of the special session, which is estimated at Rp 20.4
\nbillion.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the President's spokesman, Adhie Massardi, said
\nthat the President has set the date for a meeting with leaders of
\npolitical parties on July 8, but has yet to decide the venue.<\/p>\n
Participants of the meeting will discuss how to solve the
\ncountry's problems and ease the political tension.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has threatened on several occasions to declare a
\nstate of emergency if his political foes keep demanding that he
\naccount for his administration's performance at the special
\nsession. Declaring a state of emergency will enable him to
\ndissolve the House of Representatives, whose members make up most
\nof the Assembly.<\/p>\n
The President lashed out on Monday at political parties that
\nsupport the special session for closing the door on compromise.
\n(dja\/prb)<\/p>",
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