'Don't oust President while away'

JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto warned people on Thursday not to seize the opportunity of overthrowing President Abdurrahman Wahid while the state leader is away on his overseas trip.

"Do not take the opportunity while the President is abroad to bring him down unconstitutionally.

"It's up to the people to decide whether Gus Dur (Abdurrahman's nickname) should resign or stay. But, the Indonesian Military (TNI) will always uphold the Constitution in observing all attempts to unseat or express support for the President," Endriartono told reporters after hosting a closed- door meeting with 95 senior Army officers at the Army headquarters.

"Let's start to think about the long-term interest, instead of the short-term one," he said.

The four-star general said that in principle TNI did not know how important this trip was for Gur Dur.

"But, as a president, Gus Dur must have received some inputs on his trip from his assistants," he said.

During the media conference, Endriartono was accompanied by deputy Army chief Lt. Gen. Kiki Syahnakrie, chief of the Army Education and Training Center (Kodiklat) Lt. Gen. Amir Sembiring, the Army's Inspector-General Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto, and his assistants.

The President has been receiving strong criticism for continuing his two-week trip to the Middle East and African countries, including a haj pilgrimage to Mecca. He is scheduled to return home on March 7.

Calls have mounted that the president cut short his trip due to bloody communal clashes in the Central Kalimantan towns of Sampit and Palangkaraya, which have claimed at least 469 lives.

At home, House of Representatives (DPR) legislators said Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's statement on Wednesday that she never supported Abdurrahman for the presidency was a response to the president's statement that the House will not issue a second memorandum against him.

Deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Pramono Anung said Megawati wanted to make it clear that no one can guarantee Abdurrahman that a second memorandum will not be issued.

"No one can guarantee that the House will not continue the memorandum process unless there is no significant progress in the government's performance," Pramono said.

Another PDI Perjuangan legislator Jacob Tobing said Megawati's statement came after the president has still to make significant changes, one month after the issuance of the memorandum.

"The road for a second memorandum is wide open because the president has yet to make improvements after the issuance of the memorandum on Feb. 1," Jacob told The Jakarta Post.

Similarly, chairman of the Reform Faction Hatta Radjasa said the possibility of a second memorandum is wide open as no one, even Megawati, could guarantee that it will not be issued.

Separately, political observer Affan Gafar said Megawati's statement was a sign that Abdurrahman is losing ground as Megawati no longer stands at his side and has put herself out of his shadow.

"Gus Dur is alone now...He should resign and it is very appropriate for Megawati to become the president. Gus Dur has lost his legitimacy," Affan told journalists.

"Gus Dur should apologize and perhaps the House will not issue a second memorandum. But if the response is negative, then the second memorandum is right in front of him," Affan said.

At home, some 500 protesters from the Students' Executive Body (BEM) of universities in Java and Sumatra staged a protest near the presidential palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday, demanding that Gus Dur resign.

They disobeyed the calls by city police chief Insp. Gen. Moeljono Sulaiman that they carry out their protest peacefully.

Staging their action from 5:30 a.m., the students, who called their protest "the dawn attack", tried to break through the cordon of anti-riot police and presidential guards securing the presidential palace, but failed.

At the Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) building, located a few meters away from the presidential palace, the students listed their demands, which included bringing Gus Dur down and pushing for economic recovery; to make the New Order Regime, Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism (KKN), the Golkar Party and its cronies a common enemy of the people; and to reject proposed increases in fuel prices.

In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, similar protests were staged by hundreds of activists of the local Students' Executive Body.

They held a "special funeral ceremony" for President Abdurrahman at the Panaikang Hero Cemetery, symbolizing the death of Abdurrahman's administration. (02/27/dja/ylt)