Gus Dur repeats threats after Friday prayers

Gus Dur repeats threats after Friday prayers

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid claimed on
Friday that he has not run out of ammunition that could foil an
attempt by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to impeach
him or restrict his power.

Speaking in a public dialog after attending Friday prayers at
the presidential palace's Baiturrahim Mosque, the President
boasted of having an abundance of retaliation options, which
included the possibility of calling an early general election.

"Therefore, I hope the MPR special session will never happen,"
the President said when asked about his stance over the planned
session, which has requested his accountability for the
government's performance.

Abdurrahman, however, refused to elaborate on his plan of
action against the Assembly for fear that it would trigger
countermeasures by his political foes.

"An Arabic proverb says your secret is your hostage. If you
reveal the secret, you'll then be held hostage by it. I do not
want to discharge my captive," Abdurrahman added.

Abdurrahman reiterated that he would not tolerate any attempts
by the Assembly to demand his report of accountability, saying
such a move was a gross violation of the 1945 Constitution.

He also said he would oppose the Assembly's possible plan to
issue a special decree, ruling a division of duties and
responsibilities between him and Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

According to the President, he had sent a senior minister to
convey his message to the leaders of major political parties.

"What if this (his demand) is not accepted? I have so many
options, which I do not need to disclose here, starting with the
bringing forward of the general election," the President said.

Abdurrahman lashed out at the House of Representatives (DPR)
for its endless criticism of his administration.

"I would be very grateful if the DPR were ready to make a
commitment or to concentrate on its legislative functions," he
said.

Meanwhile, senior executives of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party dismissed
the President's threat to hold early general elections, saying
the President had no authority to unilaterally reschedule the
general election ahead of 2004.

"While the political laws are being reviewed by the House, the
newly established General Elections Commission is not ready to
organize earlier elections," Pramono Anung Wibowo, deputy
chairman of PDI Perjuangan, said.

Syamsul Muarif, chairman of the Golkar faction in the House,
suggested that Abdurrahman stick to the Constitution in seeking
solutions to the political crisis.

He added that the authority to call for an early general
election was in the hands of the Assembly.

"If the President wants to bring the 2004 general election
forward, he should propose it to the Assembly," Syamsul remarked.

Separately, the Assembly's leadership decided on Friday that
the special session would be held as scheduled on Aug. 1 and
would only be brought forward under extraordinary circumstances.

"We maintain our decision not to bring forward the special
session and we remain firm on the Aug. 1 schedule," Amien said
after chairing the leadership meeting.

Amien hinted that an early special session would only be held
if there were dramatic changes in the economy, politics, security
and defense, including dissolution of the legislature, which
could disrupt security nationwide.

In Yogyakarta, political analyst Ichlasul Amal supported a
plan to bring forward the MPR special session on grounds that
political uncertainty had caused considerable damage to the
economy.

"Political uncertainty must be stopped by an early MPR special
session. People can no longer maintain their patience as they
have already long endured a hard life," he said on Friday.

Amal, also Gadjah Mada University's rector, said that, over
the past month, Abdurrahman had never displayed political
determination that could end the uncertainty.

Separately, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi
asserted that he would never stop trying to facilitate a
compromise between the disputing political leaders.

Speaking at a mass prayer in Klaten, Central Java, on Thursday
evening, Hasyim said that the ongoing political conflict was more
related to the possession of power and economic resources than
the people's interests. (44/rms/prb)