Gus Dur ignores Amien's impeachment fulmination
Gus Dur ignores Amien's impeachment fulmination
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid lightly
dismissed on Friday a suggestion by People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais that he could face an
impeachment process in three months' time.
The President, however, restrained himself from attacking
Amien, saying he would abide by the wishes of the MPR as the
highest state institution.
The President is scheduled to appear before the MPR General
Session on Aug. 7 to present a progress report of his first year
in office.
The event has been billed as a political showdown between the
President and the increasingly vocal and critical Assembly
spokesman.
Amien and Gus Dur have traded harsh words in the run-up to the
session.
Speaking with those present after Friday prayers at the Yassin
Mosque in Cibubur, East Jakarta, Gus Dur said he was baffled by
Amien's contradictory statements.
"A few days ago the MPR chairman guaranteed that there was a
99 percent chance that nothing special would happen (at the
general session). But yesterday he talked about a special
session," he said in response to Amien's latest threat.
"I leave it up to the MPR to do whatever it wants," he said,
adding that he found it difficult to respond if the MPR speaker
made a different statement everyday.
On Thursday, Amien said the MPR could remove President
Abdurrahman from office if he failed to improve the country's
situation within three months.
"If he fails to improve himself and the country's economy, the
mandate given to him by the people will be removed," Amien said
during a meeting with Muslim students who were calling for his
impeachment.
Only the MPR has the power to remove the President midterm --
by calling for an emergency meeting of the Assembly.
Amien has resisted demands to turn the annual MPR session next
month into an emergency meeting, saying there was not enough
grounds to do such a thing.
Gus Dur said on Friday he would continue to respect the MPR
and would continue to do his best to carry out the mandate given
to him.
Separately, political observer Ichlasul Amal of Gadjah Mada
University dismissed Amien's three-month ultimatum as irrational.
Ichlasul, who is the university's rector, said no president
could resolve the chaos in Indonesia within the time limit set by
Amien because the problems were just so complex.
"Three months is too short, it does not make sense at all,"
Ichlasul said. (prb/44)