Amien sets terms for PKB return to Assembly

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)