Akbar may convey compromise idea to Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Friday that he would likely convey his ideas on a power-sharing scheme to President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid if it secures support from major factions at the legislature.

"The fate of the power-sharing scheme between the President and the Vice President will very much depend on major House factions and Gus Dur himself," he said when asked about a detailed idea on the scheme here on Friday.

Akbar said the proposed compromise had likely won the support of major House factions as numerous legislators had given the thumbs up to the proposal.

"Now, it's up to Gus Dur to decide. And I will likely convey the idea to the President if both sides give the green light for me to go ahead," he said.

Akbar said he brought up the idea in an effort to avoid the exacting of a greater political cost to the nation if the House's memorandum of censure ended with the holding of a People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) special session to impeach the President.

Akbar's proposal has received mixed responses from legislators.

Sutjipto, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, rejected the scheme.

"Our faction will stick to the memorandum process with the inevitable consequence of the President being impeached," he said.

Aberson Marle Sihaloho, Sutjipto's colleague, hailed Akbar's proposal, but insisted that the power-sharing scheme be based on the results of the 1999 general election.

"Gus Dur and Megawati should maintain their current positions, while all positions in the Cabinet should be given to members of the parties according to their gains in the last election," he said.

Syamsul Muarif, chairman of Golkar faction, agreed with Akbar's proposal, saying that his party should gain proportional positions in the Cabinet.

Factions grouped in the Axis Force turned down any such compromise, saying that they wanted the first memorandum to proceed and lead directly to impeachment of the President through an Assembly special session.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police faction was cautious in its response to Akbar's idea.

"Our faction will not immediately join the chorus. We will wait and see what most factions really want," Maj. Gen. Syamsul Maarif, a member of the faction, said.

Meanwhile, Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro said on Friday that any political compromise should be involve power sharing in the Cabinet.

He, however, said power sharing should only be considered if the President "could maintain his presidency until 2004".

"If only the President can get through this critical moment ... we expect he can improve his Cabinet's performance," Achmad said after chairing a closed-door meeting between Council members and the security authorities.

Present at the meeting were Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D., Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo A.S., National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and chief of TNI's Strategic Intelligence Body (Bais) Vice Marshall Ian Santoso Perdanakusuma.

Susilo, however, said such a compromise should be considered only if it provided a solution to the political bickering and deadlock.

"The political compromise must be held in an effort to solve the nation's fundamental problems and should not only be political cosmetics," Susilo said.

Meanwhile, Mahfud said the factions had yet to reach a final agreement on the political compromise as they still differed over whether the compromise was to separate the President's duties as head of state and as head of government, or to develop a joint political platform, or to have power sharing in the Cabinet.

In a related development, some 200 students from the Student Executive Boards (BEMs) of the University of Indonesia, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and Mercubuana University called on the House to take strict action against the President for rejecting the first memorandum.

"The House must proceed with a recommendation to hold an Assembly special session to impeach the President because the latter has denied any involvement in the two financial scandals and made no repairs in the government," Taufik Riyadi, spokesman for the students, said in a meeting with the PDI Perjuangan faction. (02/rms)