Amien sets terms for PKB return to Assembly

JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on Monday that the National Awakening Party (PKB) would have to withdraw their support from former president Abdurrahman Wahid before it could return to the Assembly.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly building, Amien argued that it would be logical for PKB to revoke its support for the former president's decree, which suspended both the Assembly and the House of Representatives.

"For everybody's sake, it would be better if they state that they have changed their minds on the decree and acknowledge that the Assembly and the House are not suspended," Amien said.

He underlined that this statement could be seen as an expression of goodwill from the party to participate again in the Assembly and not make any future references to the decree and the Assembly Special Session which unseated Abdurrahman.

Founded by Abdurrahman, PKB suspended its factions both in the Assembly and the House as a consequence of the former president's decision to suspend the Assembly on the eve of the Special Session late last month.

In an about-face, PKB's advisory and executive boards decided on Saturday to revive the factions in the Assembly and the House and participate again in both institutions for the sake of democracy, according to acting party chairman Alwi Shihab.

PKB legislator Ali Masykur Moesa said that the decision to return to the legislature was made to better represent the 13 million people who voted for the party in the 1999 election.

Therefore, Ali said Amien did not have the right to set any terms for the party to be active again in the Assembly and the House.

"We have factions in the Assembly because of the 13 million voters, not because of the Assembly speaker. So the only party that can determine whether we should be in or out of the Assembly is our constituents," Ali told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He underlined that the Special Session and the emergency decree were political facts that had nothing to do with PKB's presence in the Assembly and House.

"We never sent any official letter to the Assembly or the House for the faction's suspension. Therefore, I don't think we should send any letter to annul the suspension," Ali said.

Dismissed PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil described the party's hastened decision to leave the legislature and then return again as shameful.

"Making a decision in a hurry never pays off. Just a few days ago, the party dissolved its factions in the Assembly. Now it has applied for their revival. It is shameful."

The meeting of PKB's advisory and executive boards on Saturday also dismissed Matori Abdul Djalil and Abdul Kholik Ahmad from the party for their participation in the Special Session.

Matori, however, claimed on Monday that he was still the legitimate party chairman.

Matori said he would take the case to Abdurrahman and was not going to set up a new political party as it would only make the situation worse.

"That (secession) would amount to total destruction," he said.

In regard to Matori's dismissal, Amien said that it was difficult to replace him as the current Assembly deputy speaker as he was elected in the 1999 General Session.

"Since Matori was elected deputy speaker, it would take a similar forum to replace him," he said.

Amien underlined that it would be difficult to force Matori out of the Assembly, unless he was appointed as a Cabinet minister, which would then require him to relinquish his legislative membership.

"Nobody could dismiss a legislator because once they enter the House or Assembly, they represent the people and not their party anymore," he said. (dja)