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)