House factions consider expediting special session

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)