Gus Dur and MPR set for showdown

Gus Dur and MPR set for showdown

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid and the People's
Consultative Assembly are set to stare each other down in a
Friday evening showdown with each side adamant that they will not
be the first to blink under the threat of a state of emergency.

Most of the 700 members of the Assembly are already in the
capital and have been instructed to gather at the Assembly
compound on Friday afternoon.

They will immediately convene a plenary session should the
President make good on his threat of declaring a state of civil
emergency.

Legislators on Thursday were in no mood to entertain any
suggestions of a civil emergency, warning that should a plenary
session be convened it would certainly result in the hastening of
the special session currently slated for Aug. 1, thereby sealing
the President's fate.

Abdurrahman himself choose to go to his political stronghold
of East Java on Thursday to launch another barrage of threats,
saying that the state of emergency would empower him to dissolve
the House of Representatives and the Assembly, and to call a snap
general election.

Speaking to ulemas at the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school,
Kediri, the President pointed out that only a guarantee that
impeachment moves would cease could stop a state of emergency
from being declared.

"If there is no political compromise reached by 6 p.m.
tomorrow (Friday) evening, I will declare that the country has
been placed under a state of emergency," said Abdurrahman in
front of his enthusiastic supporters.

But Abdurrahman still left himself some room to maneuver,
stating that while the state of emergency could be announced on
Friday, it would not come into effect until July 31, one day
before the scheduled opening of the Assembly's special session.

"If there is a political compromise before July 31, then the
state of emergency will not be activated. Hopefully, there will
be a political compromise," he remarked.

Outlining his demands, the President said the Assembly must
issue a written statement saying that the special session would
not call him to account.

"What can be discussed at the special session must be confined
to inputs regarding the government's performance in the future. I
will not submit an accountability report," Abdurrahman remarked.

In a warning to his Vice President, his most likely successor
should he be removed from office, the President said that
Megawati Soekarnoputri's fate would likely be no better than his
own.

Abdurrahman again asserted that if the Assembly decided to
oust him from office, the Vice President should also resign.

Tragedy

Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security
Affairs Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar, who in the past has stridently
opposed a declaration of a state of emergency, seemed to be more
subdued on Thursday.

He said he "hoped" it would not become a reality.

"But whatever happens, we hope it will not be detrimental to
the well-being of society. That is my hope," said Agum, who was
accompanying the President to East Java.

Separately, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) Secretary-General Soetjipto said the issuance of an
emergency declaration would be "a tragedy for our democracy",
while describing such a move as something only an authoritarian
powerholder would consider.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung stressed that there was no reason
for the President to opt for such a drastic measure as it would
only further poison the political climate.

"It is only his (Abdurrrahman's) maneuver before the special
session," scoffed Akbar, who is also Golkar Party chairman.

Security has been tightened throughout the capital and
elsewhere.

In Bandung, West Java Police chief Brig. Gen. Sudirman Ail
said that at least 16,500 personnel, including troops, had been
deployed to provide security in the province starting Thursday
and would remain deployed for seven days after the special
session.

In Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, the Muhammadiyah Muslim
organization began making contingency plans and deployed its
members to guard its offices. The organization has often been the
target of enraged Abdurrahman supporters.

"We are also asking other Muhammadiyah branches to do the same
thing," Muhammadiyah activist Fachrurazi said.

Rallies in support of and against the President were also held
in several places.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, hundreds of the President's
supporters took to the streets urging the President to "go ahead
with the emergency plan", while students in Purwokerto, Central
Java, held a rally demanding Abdurrahman's resignation along with
those of Megawati, Akbar and Assembly Speaker Amien Rais. (team)