Gus Dur to meet House on chief justice veto

JAKARTA (JP): Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said on Saturday that the government will officially convey its rejection of Muladi and Bagir Manan as the Supreme Court chief justice candidates, and that the President would not compromise his principles for the sake of political expediency.

Speaking to journalists at a hastily called briefing, Wimar said the President, accompanied by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, would meet with the House of Representatives in January to formally convey his rejection of the two candidates which were submitted by the House.

Abdurrahman had earlier revealed that he did not have a green light from Megawati to endorse either Muladi or Bagir Manan and she, therefore, has been instructed to look for alternative candidates for the Supreme Court position.

The House has thus far insisted Abdurrahman choose between Muladi, who was justice minister under former president B.J. Habibie, and Bagir Manan, Muladi's former subordinate, for the post.

Abdurrahman has said that both men were "loyal to the New Order and to be partisan".

The President also created controversy on Friday when he accused House Speaker Akbar Tandjung of saying that Abdurrahman, during a meeting here on Thursday evening, had agreed that one of the two nominated candidates would be selected.

Akbar was quick to deny the accusation on Saturday saying that "false information has been given to the President".

"I swear to God that I never said that Gus Dur agreed to choose between Muladi or Bagir Manan to be the Supreme Court chief," Akbar told a media conference, held an hour before Wimar's briefing.

Wimar later said that "it will be too unproductive" to continue the controversy.

"The President said that he doesn't want to continue the debate but wants to return to the core of the problem: that the current candidates are totally unacceptable to both the President and Vice President," Wimar said.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman and Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab also attended the meeting on Thursday, Wimar said.

Wimar implied that some parties may have been trying to seek a compromise with the President during the meeting.

He insisted that the government would not "acquiesce to temptations" of being engaged in "political expediency" between the government and the House.

By law, the President has the right to select or reject any of the names proposed to him by the House.(02/byg)