Agum and MPR leaders discuss special session

Agum and MPR leaders discuss special session

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Agum Gumelar met with leaders of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) to discuss the special session
scheduled for Aug. 1, 2001.

In his first meeting at the MPR since his appointment earlier
this month, Agum was accompanied by Minister of Home Affairs and
Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja and Lt. Gen. Djamari
Chaniago, chief of Indonesia's Military General Affairs.

Agum refused to speak in detail about the meeting, saying it
was a mere courtesy call after assuming his new post.

MPR speaker Amien Rais, who hosted the meeting, said both
sides agreed during the talks to pacify the special session and
respect any decision resulting from it.

"We agree to respect any decision the Assembly will make in
the special session. Nobody will be the loser, we, the whole
nation, will be the winners," he said.

Amien, who was accompanied by his deputies Sutjipto and Hari
Sabarno, said Agum called on MPR leaders to maintain a sense of
unity in the special session.

Without elaborating Amien said Agum also warned the Assembly
against taking any misleading decisions that could stand between
the nation and its development.

Separately, the National Mandate Party (PAN) reiterated its
stance on the special session's single agenda of asking the
President to present his accountability speech.

"All ideas, including political compromise, should be brought
to the special session. Let the Assembly seek the best solution
to the political crisis," Abdillah Thoha, deputy chairman of PAN,
said on the sidelines of a seminar on the West Pacific Forum.

He further added that it would be difficult for the President
to seek a consensus with political parties if he offered
uninteresting and unconstitutional initiatives.

"There's unlikely to be a compromise if the President declines
to deliver his accountability speech, the only agenda the
Assembly has set for the special session," he said, adding that
the ongoing negotiations between the President's envoys and party
leaders would not change the special session's agenda.

Abdillah also dismissed the President's statement that the
latest Cabinet reshuffle was conducted to meet the demand of
political parties.

He said no political party, especially PAN, had suggested the
Cabinet changes nor to accept the offer of compromise from the
President.

Separately, political observer Cornelis Lay regretted that so
far the much-awaited political compromise had merely been a
matter of words coming from political leaders who continue to
spark controversies.

"Political compromise is only a verbal expression while they
all continue their political maneuvering. Compromise has become
their daily lingo, but they act the other way round," Cornelis
said.

He accentuated that all national leaders should talk to each
other and if they were ever no longer able to communicate then
they should resign as leaders.

"They were elected and are paid to talk to each other...once
they cannot speak to each other then they'd better stop as
national leaders," Cornelis, who is known as Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri's close aide, remarked.

He lashed out at Assembly members, saying that as the highest
lawmakers they should exercise wisdom and try to find more
substantial solutions to the current political stalemate.

"If the Assembly could figure out how to regulate the
relationship between the President and the House of
Representatives, the President and the military, that would be an
outstanding achievement," Cornelis said.

"But, it is too bad that up until today they have just been
driven by the spirit to topple or to elect a president.
Hopefully, after all of this, they can start to think of the
future and try to listen to each other and accept any
differences." (rms/dja)