Gus Dur backtracks on his accusations

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)