Gus Dur turns his guns on TNI

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid warned the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police on Sunday against becoming involved in the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

In a televised speech at the presidential palace, Abdurrahman reiterated his stance that the Special Session was unconstitutional, saying the TNI and the police should therefore withdraw their support for the session.

"I told the TNI chief that the TNI and the police are obliged to defend the Constitution ... and I asked them to withdraw their support for the Special Session, and if they refuse to do so they can resign tonight," the President said, referring to the TNI and National Police faction in the Assembly.

Abdurrahman also called on security personnel to restrain from violence in handling protests and guarantee the safety of those rallying in support of his presidency.

His statement came as hundreds of troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force remained on the alert with their heavy equipment and armored vehicles. The troops are deployed at the National Monument square, near the presidential palace.

Gus Dur, as the President is known, also challenged his political foes in the Assembly to a "battle of strength", as efforts to settle their dispute came closer to a head.

"Tomorrow I will be unseated by them (Assembly). That means they are asking for a battle of strength instead of looking for a political compromise.

"If they want to try each other's strength ... fine. Let's do that ... and we'll see who is going to come out the winner. I will be closely monitoring the battle of strength," he asserted.

Abdurrahman said he would hold another press meeting at 10 p.m., but it did not materialize.

The President and TNI chief Adm. Widodo Adisucipto held talks following Abdurrahman's warning. Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Agum Gumelar accompanied Widodo during the meeting.

The three met for the second time of the day at 11 p.m.

"Please wait for the political process tomorrow. Whatever happens, I will save this nation," Agum told journalists as he and Widodo left the meeting 10 minutes into midnight.

Sources said that Agum and Widodo headed for the Ministry of Defense office on Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, where they met with Army, Navy and Airforce chiefs of staff.

Prior to the meeting, Abdurrahman reportedly asked Ministry of Defense secretary-general Lt. Gen. Johny Lumintang, and later on TNI Intelligence chief Vice Air Marshal Ian Santoso Perdanakusuma, to replace Widodo as the TNI chief.

Both Johny and Ian reportedly rejected the offers.

Hari Sabarno, the TNI faction chairman at the Assembly, also rejected Abdurrahman's call for his faction to reject the Special Session, which is scheduled to hear the President's account of his administration.

"It is not the President's right to ask us to do that," Hari said at the Assembly before attending an Assembly leadership meeting late on Sunday.

Hundreds of activists from non-governmental organizations gathered at the presidential palace in a show of moral support for the embattled President.

Activists Emmy Hafield and Nursyahbani Katjasungkana and Catholic priest Sandyawan Sumardi were among those present.

In an earlier media conference, Abdurrahman reiterated that he could not resign because he was obliged to carry out the reform mandate and maintain the territorial integrity of the country.

"It is not because of a personal ambition to remain in power, but because the current political process will be insufficient to complete the reform mandate if the executors are the political elite and not the public," he said.

Abdurrahman also underlined that the best way to end the current impasse was through a snap general election, so he could return the mandate to the people.

He again call the Special Session illegal, saying the Assembly was trying to unseat him for unclear reasons. He said the president could only be impeached for treason, and he had never committed treason.

On the eve of the political showdown, hundreds of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) kyai (Muslim elders) issued a recommendation for their followers to reject all efforts to topple the President.

"Leaders that were elected democratically through a general election are legitimate and all efforts to topple the nation's leader must be rejected," said the statement read by NU Kyai Muchid Muzadi on Sunday.

Some 800 NU kyai gathered at a Muslim boarding school in Tangerang, Banten, on Sunday. They claimed the Assembly Special Session was illegal and unconstitutional.

"The Special Session is a political coup against President Abdurrahman Wahid conducted by the repressive and corrupt New Order regime, and has nothing to do with the nation's interests," Muchid said with tears in his eyes.

The kyai also expressed their grief over the political compromise that failed to materialize, and charged that political leaders had put their short-term interests ahead of the nation. (06/tso/dja)