Gus Dur backtracks on his accusations

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid backtracked on Tuesday on his accusation that legislators were behind many of Indonesia's current political troubles.

"Who said that the troublemakers are (members of) the DPR (House of Representatives)? I did not say that and, frankly speaking, I asked (for my statement) not to be twisted," Abdurrahman told a snap news conference at his office.

"What I said was that we know who the troublemakers are and they are not DPR members, but people on the ground and this is still being investigated," Gus Dur, as the President is called, added.

He, however, admitted that he had approved a legal investigation into the activities of several legislators and that they would be "questioned by law enforcers as witnesses, not as defendants".

Abdurrahman was quoted by the media last week as saying at the closing of a prodemocracy forum in Bali that several legislators were behind the violent unrest and problems that have beset the country in the past two years.

He was also quoted at the time as saying that the government had enough evidence of criminal violations to apprehend the legislators, although he gave no names.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Monday that the lawmakers in question were to be quizzed on corruption charges, not over violence in the country.

On a visit to Bogor, West Java, later on Tuesday, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung revealed that Marzuki told him that Fuad Bawazier and Siswono Yudohusodo were among several People's Consultative Assembly legislators to be questioned in connection with alleged corruption by former president Soeharto. Akbar is Golkar chairman, while Marzuki is his deputy.

Akbar said National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo told him in a recent meeting nothing about the plan to question or arrest some legislators.

The President on Tuesday also denied a statement attributed to him while he was in Medan, North Sumatra, on Monday, in which it was claimed he had urged the police to arrest "provocateurs" with or without evidence of any wrongdoing by July 15.

"What I said was that whoever the police considered guilty must be arrested," he said.

Cabinet Secretary Marsilam Simanjuntak said on Monday that Abdurrahman had given permission to the police and the Attorney General's Office to question "not more than 10" members of the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) over various cases.

Officials here have said that some people in Jakarta were responsible for inciting riots in Maluku which had killed thousands of people since the violence first erupted in the province 18 months ago.

Approval from the President as the head of state is required before law enforcers can investigate members of the House or the Assembly.

Marsilam also said on Monday that Abdurrahman denied accusations that revenge motivated him to order that legislators be investigated.

The House last week voted overwhelmingly to exercise its interpellation right and summon the President for questioning over the dismissal of two economics ministers in April.

Arbitrary

Meanwhile in Bandar Lampung on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais warned police and the Attorney General's Office against arbitrarily arresting legislators.

"I remind the attorney general and the police chief to abide by prevailing laws. (Abdurrahman's) order ... to arrest with or without evidence is an incredibly negligent statement," Amien was quoted by Antara as saying.

"Brother Abdurrahman should have not made the statement," he said, describing Abdurrahman's use of the word troublemaker as "indecent".

In the latest attack on the President, an influential figure in the B.J. Habibie administration threw his support on Tuesday behind Megawati Soekarnoputri to replace Abdurrahman.

Adi Sasono, secretary-general of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals, said that Abdurrahman's seven months in office had proved that "he is not fit for the job".

"If this man cannot prove that he can manage the country, we should give the chance to other people," Adi was quoted by The Australian as saying.

"The cost is too high. The human cost in the last seven months is much larger than in the last 10 years under Soeharto's time."

Asked who should replace Abdurrahman, Adi said: "The only possibility from Article 8 in the (1945) Constitution is Megawati.

Megawati's presidential bid was met with resistance, particularly from Muslim-based parties. (21/byg/prb)