Gus Dur's 'harassment' of DPR may not be to his benefit

Gus Dur's 'harassment' of DPR may not be to his benefit

President Abdurrrahman Wahid has agreed to meet legislators on
July 20, which has been read as a "maneuver" as it was one day
before the legislature's recess -- which was finally rescheduled.
Riswandha Imawan, a lecturer in political science at the
Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University, says that the ploy will
backfire on the President.

Question: Why do you think President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus
Dur) picked July 20 as the day to answer the House of
Representatives' interpellation motion?

Answer: It only shows us more clearly that the President is
smarter at playing politics than managing the state. I don't
think he picked the day without a reason. I don't believe it was
an instinctive choice. Rather, it was because he knew full well
that the House would have a recess the following day.

I see this as nothing but harassment by the executive of the
legislative body. It proves that the President is more concerned
with agendas which he thinks will improve his popularity.

What I see now is the President gathering mass support. He's
creating a condition in which people will be angry should he have
to face the dangers of an impeachment from the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Q: What makes you think so?

A: A couple of days ago I heard on a local radio station that the
President was asking the ulema not to be upset should something
happen to him if he is "tried" by the House. I couldn't
understand why he said that.

Answering an interpellation motion is not the same as being
tried. But the President is creating the impression that he will
be tried by the House, that he will be treated as a defendant.

(His statement) was provocative. When he says "please don't be
upset", people read that as "please do be upset". The nation is
quite fed up with these provocations uttered by the President.

Q: So what should the President do regarding the House's request
to answer its interpellation motion?

A: If I were him, I would rush to the House well before (recess).
It would be much more advantageous for him to go earlier. What is
missing from our society is honesty. Remember, when he was
elected president, people thought that as an ulema he would be
honest. Therefore the stakes are high. It's not just the nation,
but also his reputation as a kyai (Muslim teacher); is he honest
enough?

Again, the choice of July 20 has a political calculation. He
thinks the House won't have the time to answer to his response.
But it seems he hasn't taken into consideration the annual
General Session in August. He should remember that (the
interpellation motion) has become a priority for House members.

It is therefore quite possible that they will use the recess
period as much as possible to come up with a sharper strategy to
be used in the annual session. They would then have more time to
study the case and express dissatisfaction even more effectively
in August.

If this is the case, Abdurrahman will be the party which
suffers the most. He is just postponing the problem.

He should not be so sure (as he stated earlier) that 80
percent of the MPR members will support him. Six factions earlier
stated their refusal of the postponement of the plenary session
(to July 20) and 332 legislators support the motion ...

Q: Legislators and analysts have said the interpellation motion
could not be used to topple the President. Why does Abdurrahman
seem to worry so much about it?

A: It's true, there's nothing to worry about from the
interpellation motion. It was proposed because there is an
inconsistency in the President's statements regarding the reasons
of the dismissal of Yusuf Kalla and Laksamana Sukardi from his
Cabinet.

The motion would not have been there in the first place if it
weren't for his inconsistency.

He should not forget that the Cabinet was formed in the way a
legislative Cabinet is formed. So it's ridiculous to say that the
motion is misplaced because dismissing Cabinet ministers is the
President's prerogative.

In the context of Abdurrahman's Cabinet (the motion) is not
misplaced, especially since members were selected through
compromise and guaranteed by the political elite.

You should also remember that accusing Yusuf Kalla and
Laksamana Sukardi of committing corruption, collusion and
nepotism is not just embarrassing them but the political parties
they belong to. And those accusations will surely have long-term
consequences in the coming election.

Q: If it's true that Abdurrahman is a smart political player, why
doesn't he use the plenary session to clarify the problem?

A: You're right, Abdurrahman is making a wrong move in this case.
In fact, instead of clarifying the problem, the President is
trying to shift it by continuing to make new statements.

He would be better off using the interpellation session to
restore his good image. So I suggest he set an earlier date.

Q: As the President insists on having the session on July 20,
what could happen in August?

A: There is no way he will be impeached. If the House is not
satisfied with the President's answer, it has to send a
memorandum to ask the MPR to hold a special session. Based on
current regulations, it would be impossible to topple him in the
near future. Next year would be the soonest, as six months is
needed for the MPR to approve the House's proposal for a special
session -- unless it is Abdurrahman who is responsible for his
own fall from the presidency.

If he doesn't change the way he manages the nation he will
certainly be paving the way to his own downfall; no one will have
to unseat him. (Sri Wahyuni)