Toward impeachment?<\/p>\n
It seems hardly a day goes by without President Abdurrahman
\nWahid getting himself into some kind of trouble. With the furor
\nover the President's tactless criticism of Singapore's Senior
\nMinister Lee Kuan Yew hardly having the time to die down, 151
\nmembers of the House of Representatives on Wednesday exercised
\ntheir \"right of opinion\" by asking the House to issue a
\nmemorandum in connection with the President's alleged breaches of
\nthe Constitution, the State Policy Guidelines, the presidential
\noath and a number of decrees issued last year by the country's
\nhighest policy-making body, the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR).<\/p>\n
In what could well turn out to be the first step toward
\nimpeachment, the 151 legislators, representing six factions,
\nincluding the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) which is the largest faction in the House, Golkar,
\nthe Reform faction, the United Development Party (PPP) and the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB), accused the President of having
\nviolated the Constitution by allowing the hoisting of the Morning
\nStar flag of the Free Papua Movement as well as several important
\nMPR decrees such as those on the banning the communism and on
\ngood governance. The factions also censured the President for
\nappointing a new chief of police without consulting the House,
\nand for a lack of sincerity in his pledge to share tasks with
\nVice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
It will take much work and time, though, from this point on to
\nmove toward impeachment. First, the proposal which was submitted
\non Wednesday will have to go through four stages of deliberation
\nbefore it is debated in a plenary session of the House.<\/p>\n
If the House approves the proposal, it will draw up a
\nmemorandum which is then delivered to the President. The
\nPresident is then given three months to respond. Of course, the
\nPresident could simply ignore the document and go his own way as
\nif nothing happened. He has done that a few times before.<\/p>\n
If that were the case, a second memorandum would be delivered
\nto the President who would have one month to respond. In the
\nevent that this second memorandum is also ignored, the House of
\nRepresentatives could then call on the MPR to convene a special
\nsession to impeach the President.<\/p>\n
Clearly, this process will take time -- if it ever goes so far
\nas the House calling for a special session of the MPR.
\nNevertheless, the fact that 151 members of several of the most
\nimportant factions in the House have agreed to exercise their
\nright of opinion, is warning enough for President Abdurrahman
\nWahid to tread more carefully from now on. Add that to the fact
\nthat Megawati has, as reported by the media, stated her readiness
\nto take over the presidency as long as it is done according to
\nprocedures prescribed by the Constitution. The possibility of
\nimpeachment is a hazard that President Abdurrahman Wahid can
\nhardly afford to ignore.<\/p>\n
It is true that under current circumstances, a change in the
\nnational leadership is, or should be, the very last option
\nIndonesians should resort to. After all, a change in the
\npresidency may not, or at least may not immediately, bring the
\ndrastic improvements that Indonesians yearn for. On the other
\nhand, it is more likely to usher in a new period of political
\ninstability, however transient. The best thing that can happen to
\nthis nation at present is for the President to learn his lessons
\nand change his ways for the better. Unless he does that, this
\ncountry is most likely headed for four more years of instability.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/toward-impeachment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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