Gus Dur to reply to House censure soon
Gus Dur to reply to House censure soon
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Tuesday that
his reply to the House of Representatives (DPR) memorandum of
censure for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals
would be ready by the end of March.
"The reply is estimated to be ready around March 25 or 26 or
by the end of March," Abdurrahman told reporters at Bina Graha
presidential office.
He said that the response was being prepared by Defense
Minister Mahfud M.D. and "tomorrow morning (Wednesday), I, along
with the Vice President (Megawati Soekarnoputri) and several
other people will discuss it" at a breakfast meeting.
Abdurrahman also said his response -- which could either be
read out in the DPR or simply sent in writing -- would be
discussed in a Cabinet meeting on Saturday.
Commenting on press reports that six House factions had
already drafted a second censure memorandum -- without waiting
for a reply to the first -- Abdurrahman said: "Let them."
"It's OK, if they were forbidden (to issue the memorandum),
they would still issue it anyway," he added.
Earlier in the day, Secretary to the President, Mujib Manan,
said that presidential aides would meet with the DPR secretary-
general on Wednesday to discuss whether the President would just
send a written reply to the DPR memorandum of censure or deliver
the answers himself at a hearing.
Speaking to reporters, Mujib said Cabinet Secretary Marsilam
Simanjuntak and presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar had been
instructed by the President to meet with the DPR at 9 a.m. on
Wednesday to discuss the matter.
The DPR censured Abdurrahman on Feb. 1 after a special
committee probing two financial scandals dubbed Buloggate and
Bruneigate found the President may have had a role in them.
Buloggate was the alleged theft of Rp 35 billion (US$3.5
million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), while
Bruneigate was the alleged misuse of a US$2 million donation from
the Sultan of Brunei.
Mahfud said on Monday that in the President's response to the
House censure, Abdurrahman plans to deny all allegations of his
involvement in the two scandals.
Mahfud and Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono have been assigned to
prepare the answers for the President. (byg)