Gus Dur sets three issues for 'summit'

Gus Dur sets three issues for 'summit'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has
proposed that the planned meeting between the country's top
leaders include discussions on security, law enforcement and the
economic crisis, a right activist said on Monday.

Secretary-General of the Center for Democracy, Human Rights
and Environment Studies Abdy Kusumanegara said Abdurrahman had
come up with the list during the group's meeting with the
President at Bina Graha presidential office on Monday morning.

Abdurrahman said earlier this month he hoped to meet with his
deputy Megawati Soekarnoputri, Chairman of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais, and House of
Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung to seek ways to
resolve the country's political impasse.

The President said last week that "in principal" the four
leaders had agreed to meet, but "no date has been set yet as
everyone is busy".

Many have been skeptical of the significance of such a meeting
as Abdurrahman has so far not come up with a precise agenda.

"The agenda is not clear. There have been meetings before but
no follow-ups," former justice minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told
reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on Monday.

Yusril's statement came against the backdrop of a fresh
proposal from Akbar that there should be "a preliminary talk" to
set agendas for the "summit meeting".

"We should have a brainstorming session and see from there
which topics could be discussed at the follow-up meeting," Akbar
said later on Monday.

He also said that there should be "no time restriction"
allotted for the dialog so that "we can discuss all the problems
facing the country".

Akbar proposed earlier that the planned meeting be focused on
a power-sharing scheme, through which Abdurrahman takes a
backseat and hands over the day-to-day running of the government
to Megawati. Akbar also said there was a possibility of the House
dropping its plan to hand down the President a second rebuke in a
session scheduled for the end of this month if the four-party
meeting agreed on a power-sharing formula.

The President, however, rejected the proposal saying that the
move was unconstitutional.

Demands for Abdurrahman's resignation have been rife due to
his erratic style of leadership and ineffective government.

In Denpasar, Bali, MPR Speaker Amien, who also chairs the
National Mandate Party, said the meeting between the country's
four leaders should result in an agreement on an MPR special
session to seek a solution to the crises facing the nation.

"If all the nation's leaders agree to the special session, God
willing, there will be no obstacles standing in the path of the
country's democratization process," Amien said in his opening
speech of PAN's three-day executive meeting.

He said he supported the proposed dialog "as long as it
doesn't damage the ongoing constitutional process at the DPR and
MPR".

Indicating that the planned forum was prone to backroom deals,
he said that through the MPR session a collective solution to the
country's problems could be sought.

Attending the opening ceremony were representatives of eight
factions from the House, who earlier in the day met for informal
talks to discuss several national issues and ways to solve the
country's multifaceted crisis.

Party representatives included Hatta Rajasa and Alvin Lie of
the Reform faction, Syamsul Mu'arif of the Golkar Party, Arifin
Panigoro of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Ali
Marwan Hanan of the United Development Party, Ahmad Sumargono of
the Crescent Star Party, Sutradara Gintings from the Unity and
Nationhood faction and Mudahan Hasbi of the Daulat Ummat Party.
Also attending was the deputy secretary-general of Abdurrahman's
National Awakening Party, Suseno Yusuf.

Asked whether the meeting discussed the possibility of
granting a second memorandum to President Abdurrahman Wahid,
Alvin said that "the memorandum issue is a small issue compared
to the threat of national disintegration and the current domestic
economic crisis."

"On the matter concerning the second memorandum, I think each
faction has a clear view on that and so need not be discussed,"
Alvin added. (byg/hdn/dja/edt/zen)