2nd memorandum inevitable: Major factions
JAKARTA (JP): With the schedule for the issuance of a second memorandum of censure just a fortnight away, major factions at the House of Representatives insisted over the weekend that nothing now could stop them from issuing the second memorandum against President Abdurrahman Wahid.
House Deputy Speaker Tosari Wijaya of the United Development Party (PPP) maintained that the second memorandum was inevitable since Abdurrahman had not improved his performance as President.
"The only thing that could stop the second memorandum would be if Abdurrahman all of a sudden adopted a remarkably different approach and carried out his duties earnestly," Tosari told journalists in Semarang, Central Java, on Saturday.
He further brushed off the possibility that a mass mobilization of Abdurrahman's die-hard supporters to Jakarta could possibly sway the view of the House.
"If there is strong mob pressure to stop the issuance of the second memorandum, the police should help, as security officers should deal with anarchic action by the people," Tosari remarked.
A senior legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) also indicated that the largest faction in the House would support the issuance of the second memorandum.
"So far, we will likely support issuing the second memorandum because we still see many negative points from the President's actions, especially concerning the fight against corruption and the violation of the presidential oath," Jacob Tobing told The Jakarta Post.
Jacob, who is also one of the eight members of the party to assess Abdurrahman's written reply to the first memorandum, further said that there had been no significant improvement from the President concerning these issues.
"We will continue to adhere to the constitutional process, despite continuing informal meetings with the National Awakening Party, as we are committed to keeping the relationship between the two parties on a good standing," Jacob added.
According to the House's internal rules, once the second memorandum is issued the President will have another month to respond to it.
After that the House can propose the People's Consultative Assembly hold a special session which has the power to impeach him.
However it would take another two months before the Assembly could convene one.
An Assembly ad hoc committee is also weighing and anticipating the possibility of accelerating the process further to about two weeks.
"Currently, we are anticipating the need to foreshorten the two-months...but we have yet to determine whether it is possible to do so," committee chairman Rambe Kamarrul Zaman said on Sunday.
Another legislator from PPP Husni Tamrin said, with the country's current myriad problems it would be impossible to solve them in a short time, even if Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri were to take over from Abdurrahman.
"Not just Megawati, whoever became the President would not have the ability to solve the country's complex problems in such a short time," Husni said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.
Separately, the National Police plans to conduct a sweep of incoming people to the capital ahead of the House plenary session on April 30 on the memorandum process.
"We will conduct searches at all disembarkation points for sharp weapons and firearms...but we will not use force to conduct the searches," the National Police spokesman Brig.Gen. Didi Widayadi said in Bandung, West Java, on Sunday.
Didi said that the searches would be conducted with the agreement of the Nadhatul Ulama Muslim organization, which will hold a mass prayer in the capital on April 29. (dja/har/25)