'Gus Dur to resign if proven guilty'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is prepared to resign if proven to have violated the Constitution, defense minister Mahfud M.D. said on Wednesday.

"The President does not object to being criticized, being censured or even being asked to resign if the move is constitutionally right," Mahfud said, quoting Abdurrahman's reply to the House of Representatives (DPR) censure for the President's alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

Mahfud was speaking after a breakfast meeting between Abdurrahman, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Adm. Widodo A.S., National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and the three military chiefs of staff.

However, presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar later said that "there has been no indication at all that the President intends to resign".

Speaking to reporters at Merdeka Palace, Wimar said that Abdurrahman remained committed to serving out his term until 2004.

He also said that Abdurrahman's reply to the House of Representatives' censure would be read out before the legislators by one of the ministers.

"The next Cabinet meeting on March 29 will discuss who will read out the President's response ... it could be anyone, even the Vice President," Wimar said.

Abdurrahman said on Tuesday that his reply to the DPR's memorandum of censure would be ready by the end of March.

The DPR censured Abdurrahman on Feb. 1 after a special committee probing the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and Brunei financial scandals found that the President may have played a role in them.

The Bulog scandal centered on the disbursement of Rp 35 billion (US$3.5 million) belonging to Bulog employees' foundation, while the Brunei affair was the alleged misuse of a $2 million donation from the sultan of Brunei.

Mahfud said earlier in the week 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 Susilo have been assigned to prepare the answers for the President.

Separately, the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction at the House of Representatives questioned a legislator's action of releasing to the media a Bruneian political party's official letter to the House in its response to the party's newly published white book on the Bulog and Brunei scandals.

"We are surprised that (legislator) Alvin Lie has disseminated copies of the letter for House Speaker Akbar Tandjung. We also question his motive behind the action," Ali As'ad, who chaired the team that wrote the book, said at a news conference here on Wednesday.

Alvin, a critic of President Abdurrahman Wahid, was a member of the House's special committee that investigated the two scandals.

The Brunei Solidarity National Party (PPKB) sent a letter signed by its chairman, Muhammad Hatta bin Zainal Abidin, to the House speaker to clarify that the $2 million in question was not alms from the Brunei government but financial assistance from the Brunei royal family, a statement the PKB faction rejected.

Ali said the money was alms from the Brunei royal family who chose not to speak about it in accordance with Islamic tradition.

"The Brunei royal family has remained silent about the financial assistance because it was earmarked as alms and could not speak about it to others in line with Muslim tradition," he said.

The House issued a memorandum of censure to the President early last month concerning the two scandals. (02/byg/rms)