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)