DPR plenary session could be relocated

DPR plenary session could be relocated

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Top legislators agreed on Tuesday that
a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary session later this month
could be held outside the capital due to security concerns.

The decision came as questions of how to control President
Abdurrahman Wahid's diehard supporters, tens of thousands of
members of ready-to-die forces, loomed large ahead of the
session, scheduled for April 30.

The House plenary meeting would decide whether to issue a
second censure motion against Abdurrahman.

Despite police warnings of a crackdown, hundreds of the
President's supporters are undergoing "war" training in East Java
prior to their trip to Jakarta, raising fears of more violence.

They are expected to flood Jakarta on April 29 to join a rally
in support of Abdurrahman.

"If security conditions worsen in the capital, then we have
all agreed to move the plenary session somewhere else, perhaps to
Bandung," Arifin Panigoro, leader of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction at the DPR, said at
the House faction convention in Bali on Tuesday.

The informal meeting took place at Hotel Imperial, where
Arifin is one of its shareholders.

Some have suggested that Arifin was in Bali to fine-tune the
draft of the second memorandum of censure against Abdurrahman.

Several key legislators who were also present in Bali said
earlier in the day that at least seven House factions had agreed
to pass the second censure motion against the beleaguered
President on May 1.

PDI Perjuangan's deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung was
more guarded, however, saying that the party would only announce
its final position on whether to issue the second censure against
Abdurrahman on April 29.

Speaking after the party's weekly meeting at its headquarters
in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, Pramono said the party's stance
was still being discussed by an eight-member team.

The team comprised Dwi Ria Latifa, former chief economic
minister Kwik Kian Gie, Jacob Tobing, Sukowaluyo, Didi
Supriyanto, Julius Usman, Tarto Sudiro, and Alex Litaay.

Rumors were rife that Tarto and Alex were against the second
censure motion.

Pramono was quick to dismiss the rumors saying that "the team
remains solid."

When asked whether the party had been given the green light by
party leader Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri to issue the
second memorandum, Pramono said, "I don't know what's on Ibu
Mega's mind. She just asks us to avoid violence."

The DPR issued the first memorandum of censure against the
President in February for his alleged involvement in two
financial scandals.

The move is likely to lead to an impeachment process against
Abdurrahman.

Arrogant

Earlier in the day, Abdurrahman accused mutinous House
legislators of failing to understand the country's Constitution.

"The government cannot be held accountable for its
performance," Abdurrahman told an audience during a visit to the
East Java city of Malang.

"The government can only be impeached or put on trial if it
has committed treason. They (legislators) apparently do not
understand the Constitution," he said during a lecture at a state
Islamic high school in Malang.

Abdurrahman branded the legislators "arrogant" for asking him
to account for his performance as president, adding that they
could only demand his accountability at the end of his five-year
mandate and before the next election.

He said the arrogance of the legislators was not confined to
the capital, but was evident amongst regional counterparts as
well.

"(East Java governor) Imam Utomo has complained that recently
sworn in local lawmakers are already requesting mobile phones
before having done anything," Abdurrahman said.

East Java is Abdurrahman's political heartland and home to
millions of members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a Muslim
organization which Abdurrahman led for 15 years.

A member of Rector's Forum, Rady A. Gani, of Hasanuddin
University announced that President Abdurrahman Wahid has agreed
to attend a national meeting of university rectors. The aim is to
facilitate a meeting between the country's four top leaders.

The national meeting of rectors will be held on April 25 and
26 in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar. "Since the four
leaders failed to meet in Jakarta, they now have the opportunity
to meet at our event here," Rady told the media after a meeting
with the Governor of South Sulawesi, HZB. Palaguna, on Tuesday.
(02/27/zen/nur/byg)