Gus Dur rejects memorandum

JAKARTA (JP): Contrary to expectations that his response would be conciliatory, President Abdurrahman Wahid rejected on Wednesday the House of Representatives (DPR) memorandum of censure and maintained that he was innocent.

"Allow me to convey my response with an apology that I cannot accept the House memorandum because it is not constitutionally valid," Abdurrahman told the DPR plenary session.

"I believe that in this case I am legally not guilty, but I would still like to apologize for being uncooperative (with the DPR) since I feel that I have been cornered from the beginning," the President said.

In his short introductory speech, Abdurrahman, who is partially blind, said that his 15-page response would be read by Justice and Human Rights Minister Baharuddin Lopa.

Abdurrahman's vision was impaired due to the combined effects of diabetes and high blood pressure.

The DPR censured Abdurrahman on Feb. 1 after a special committee probing two financial scandals found that the President may have had a role in them.

The scandals center on the alleged misappropriation of Rp 35 billion (US$3.5 million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and on the alleged misuse of a US$2 million donation from the sultan of Brunei.

In the response, Abdurrahman again denied all allegations of his involvement in the two scandals and then repeated his earlier argument that the House special committee was illegal since it was not registered at the State Gazette as required by a 1954 law.

The President said, however, that "by responding to the memorandum, the legality of the House special committee is no longer an issue".

"The first memorandum from the DPR is a political reality," Abdurrahman said.

He then reiterated his belief that the issuance of the House memorandum was "motivated by ambitions to topple the President rather than to issue a warning" over his leadership.

Quoting a statement from senior legal expert Satjipto Rahardjo, Abdurrahman said that "the current House memorandum is no longer a mechanism to warn the President but a means to pass political judgment against the President due to the hostile political climate."

The President's statement came before leaders of major factions at the DPR said later in the day that they rejected Abdurrahman's defense and that the issuance of a second memorandum of censure against the President was only a matter of time.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said later that the President's response would be debated by the House during a plenary session on April 30 after each faction in the House had studied it.

April 30 was the deadline for Abdurrahman to respond to the first memorandum.

A second memorandum could be issued by the DPR if it considers the President's response to the first memorandum unsatisfactory.

If the reply to the second memorandum, a month later, is also deemed unsatisfactory, the DPR could call for the convening of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which has the power to impeach the President.

Abdurrahman said further in his reply that he is ready to resign if he is proven to have violated the Constitution.

"I do not object to being criticized, being censured or even being asked to step down as long as all the constitutional criteria and procedures have been met," Abdurrahman said.

He said that the DPR's decision to issue the memorandum of censure against him was unfair as he had not been proven to have really violated the Constitution and the state guidelines.

The report of the House special committee on the scandals, used as the basis of the memorandum, had only concluded that the President "could be suspected of having played a role" in Bulog scandal, and "had given inconsistent statements" on the Brunei scandal.

Abdurrahman also denied media reports that he had ever appointed lawyer Indra Sahnun Lubis to represent him in the two financial scandals.

"Indra Sahnun Lubis has been quoted by the media as saying that he has been authorized by the President to file a lawsuit against the House special committee," he said.

"I have reprimanded him for his claim and anyone can ask him whether or not he really has been given the power of attorney on my behalf," Abdurrahman added.

The President said that he had appointed lawyer Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan to represent him in the two financial scandals.

"Pak Luhut has been appointed not to file a lawsuit against the House special committee but to represent me if the corruption charges against me are taken to court," Abdurrahman said.

Also present in the House plenary session on Wednesday were, among others, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Defense Minister Mahfud M.D, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli, the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Adm. Widodo A.S., National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.

Abdurrahman arrived at the DPR amid tight security at 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday.

His car passed through a two-meter high interlocked plastic fence and rolls of razor wire set up to prevent protesters from storming into the compound as hundreds of police officers stood guard.

Police checked incoming vehicles for weapons.

However there was no sign of the thousands of supporters of Abdurrahman who were rumored to be planning to stage a rally at the House to express their support for the beleaguered President.

More than 450 of the DPR's 500 members were present at the plenary session.

More than 9,000 police officers have been mobilized across the capital to contain feared street clashes between supporters and opponents of Abdurrahman.

At the end of the meeting, Achmad Farhan Hamid, a legislator of the National Mandate Party (PAN), interrupted and called on the President to calm his supporters and prevent them from intimidating the President's opponents.

Thousands of Abdurrahman's supporters, mostly from East Java which is known as the stronghold of the President, have been streaming into the capital over the past few days to express support for the President.

Some of the supporters had vowed that they will fight to the death if Abdurrahman is ousted from the presidency. (byg/rms)