House factions consider expediting special session
JAKARTA (JP): Major factions in the House of Representatives are seriously considering calling for an expedited special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, in response to President Abdurrahman Wahid's latest political moves.
Syamsul Muarif, chairman of the Golkar Party faction, said major factions in the House were deeply concerned with the president's ongoing political maneuvers to displace top officials in the Indonesian Military and the National Police, along with investigations into his political foes.
"The President's crazy actions have resulted not only in confusion among the people but also serious internal friction in the military and the National Police," he told The Jakarta Post by telephone on Thursday.
"Disintegration will be inevitable if an internal split happens both in the military and the National Police."
The President in the last two weeks has conducted two Cabinet reshuffles replacing top political, security and economic ministers, along with the Attorney General. He has also suspended the National Police chief.
Many view the move as a desperate last ditch strategy to save his presidency, with a special session, which could remove him from office, less than two months away.
The situation has been compounded by the sudden launch of a corruption investigation into leading political opponents.
Syamsul claimed that major factions such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Reform faction were of the same view.
"The proposal will be discussed in a factions' meeting on Friday and our decision will be announced in a press conference after the meeting," he said.
Any proposal to hasten the special session would have to first be approved by the Assembly's working committee.
A member of the working committee, Fahmi Idris, maintained that there has been no official discussion on expediting the special session which is currently set for Aug. 1 as the committee is not due to convene for another fortnight.
"We will stick to the Constitution which stipulates that the special session is held two months after it is recommended by the House of representatives," Fahmi told the Post.
Nevertheless he conceded that informal meetings between the seven House factions, which excluded the TNI/National Police faction, the National Awakening Party faction and the Love the Nation Democratic faction, concluded that expediting the special session was necessary.
"The demand to hasten the special session has crystallized among us as Gus Dur has tried to violate the Constitution by trying to replace the TNI chief without asking approval from the House.
"To wait until Aug. 1 is useless," Fahmi, who is also a Golkar Party member, said.
He added that factions were contemplating June 25 or July 1 as the new schedule for the special session.
A team of legal experts to study the legal validity of such a hastened session has been formed.
The team includes Jimmly Assiddiqie from the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) and former minister of justice and human rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
Meanwhile Achmad Sumargono, chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction, was convinced that a hastened special session would be proposed and it would be up to the working committee to follow up.
"We are very concerned with the President's current political moves. His has threatened to issue a decree declaring a state of civil emergency, he had taken bizarre actions both in the military and the National Police. Now, he is going to arrest his political opponents," he said.
Achmad urged the President not to overreact in facing the special session and to instead conduct a concerted and measured lobby of political parties to seek political compromise.
"The President's political maneuvers are counterproductive as the military and the National Police have demonstrated their disloyalty to him. It is a sign that the country has reached a critical point," he said. (rms/02)