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)