Gus Dur ready for 2nd censure

Gus Dur ready for 2nd censure

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid challenged
the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday to issue the
second memorandum of censure against him, but added he will only
regard the memorandum as a strong warning.

"The President has stressed to us: do make a memorandum with
the hardest possible content," legislator Habil Marati of the
United Development Party (PPP) said after he and six other
legislators met with Abdurrahman at Bina Graha presidential
office.

But Habil said the President also told them that he will not
view it as a memorandum of censure.

"For me, it is a strong warning from the DPR," Habil quoted
Abdurrahman as saying.

Abdurrahman, Habil said, also warned that, however harsh the
content of the memorandum, it should not relate to his
performance as head of state.

"It should not, in any way, touch on the performance of the
President because this will be accounted for after five years, at
the end of my term of office (in 2004)," Abdurrahman was quoted
as saying.

The DPR will decide whether to issue a second memorandum of
censure against Abdurrahman on Monday. A second censure would
likely lead to the President's impeachment.

The House issued the first censure against Abdurrahman in
February for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

Habil's statement came as thousands of Abdurrahman's
supporters began to arrive in the capital, some of whom were
members of the Defenders of Truth force, who have pledged their
willingness to die defending the President.

The President's supporters will attend mass prayers in the
capital on Sunday, the eve of the DPR plenary session.

Despite claims from the mass prayer's organizers that the
event is not politically motivated, the presence of the
President's supporters in the capital has raised fears of
violence and forced security authorities to deploy at least
17,000 troops and officers.

Habil and the six other legislators visited Abdurrahman to
discuss the need for accelerated development of eastern
Indonesia, Habil said.

Habil's statement followed presidential spokesman Wimar
Witoelar's comments earlier in the day, asserting that
Abdurrahman will ignore calls to step down if the second
memorandum is passed.

Wimar said the President wanted to serve out his term until
2004 and efforts to oust him were jeopardizing the country's
transition from decades of authoritarian rule under former
president Soeharto.

"I can say on behalf of President Wahid, categorically and
definitely, that he will not resign," Wimar told Reuters
Television.

"His resignation would mean the avoidance of responsibility
and would mean betraying the trust of his constituents, and in
fact would be against the interests of the country," he added.

Abdurrahman later called on his supporters to exercise
restraint.

"Don't use violence," Abdurrahman said when asked what his
supporters should do if the second censure is passed on Monday.

The statement came as palace sources said late on Thursday
that Abdurrahman would go ahead with his planned television
address on Friday to appeal for calm.

Sources said that the address, to be read by Wimar, would be
broadcast live on TVRI national television at 8 p.m. on Friday.

Legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party said on Thursday that they
were still putting final touches on their parties' stances on the
issuance of a second censure against Abdurrahman.

Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also PDI
Perjuangan's chairwoman, was quoted as saying earlier in the week
that she had given her consent for the party to support the
issuance of the second memorandum.

Separately, chairman of the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National
Police faction at the House, Lt. Gen. Budhi Harsono, said his
faction had yet to decide whether it would support the
memorandum.

"The most important thing is that we do not support any groups
which fight only for their own interests," Budhi told Kompas and
The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.

"The country will not collapse and the government will not be
toppled if the House decides to issue the second memorandum of
censure against the President," he said.

Meanwhile, the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction hinted
on Thursday that it could accept a decision by the House to issue
the second memorandum.

"The PKB faction is ready to accept the decision by the House
to issue the second memorandum because this is the political
reality in the legislative body," PKB legislator Nur Iskandar SQ
said, as quoted by Antara.

He added, however, that he was confident that political
compromise, through meetings between the political elite, would
still be available to settle the nation's problems.

Meanwhile, political observer from the Banten-based Matlaul
Anwar University, M. Yusril, suggested the President announce his
resignation on April 30, the same day of the House plenary
session.

"Gus Dur must think of the fate of the country's 200 million
people, not just that of a group of his supporters.

"If he is a statesman, he must be ready to announce his
resignation on that day," Yusril said, referring to the President
by his nickname. (byg/dja/prb/rms)