Gus Dur to appoint expert to study amendment to the 1945 Constitution
Gus Dur to appoint expert to study amendment to the 1945 Constitution
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said here on
Thursday that he would appoint constitutional law expert Harun
Alrasid to chair a special committee to study the amendment of
the 1945 Constitution.
Speaking before the launching ceremony for an autobiography of
Djuanda, a former prime minister under the country's first
president Soekarno in the early 1960s, Abdurrahman claimed that
the committee was aimed at "straightening out the constitutional
crisis" faced by the country.
Abdurrahman, who has been under House of Representatives
investigation for his alleged involvement in two financial
scandals, said there was confusion as to whether the country's
political system was parliamentary or presidential.
"Therefore, I have asked Professor Harun Alrasid to set up a
committee to study the amendment of the 1945 Constitution,"
Abdurrahman said.
He added that he would also appoint former justice minister
Muladi as the committee's secretary.
The statement was made against the backdrop of Abdurrahman's
refusal on Tuesday to appear before the House special committee
for questioning over two financial scandals.
The special committee is seeking to question Abdurrahman about
the fraudulent withdrawal of Rp 35 billion (US$ 3.6) from a State
Logistics Agency (Bulog) foundation by his masseur, and about the
disposition of US$2 million donated by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of
Brunei that the President claimed was a personal gift.
He reiterated on Thursday that under the presidential system,
the president could not be held accountable by the House.
Abdurrahman also reiterated that the House probes into the
scandals were "illegal".
He said last month that none of the special committees formed
by the House were registered with the state secretariat as
required by a 1954 law, which also stipulated that such
committees should be listed in the state gazette.
Allegations that the President is implicated in the scandals
have been seized on by his critics in the House to step up calls
for his resignation. (byg)