House summons the President over loss of Sipadan, Ligitan

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday in favor of a motion to summon President Megawati Soekarnoputri over the loss of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia.

The date for the House plenary session to hear the President's explanation will be decided later by a House steering committee. Legislators supporting the motion said they hoped the President would appear before the House in the first week of July.

The decision to summon the President came after a vote during a plenary session on Tuesday, with 117 legislators in favor and 102 against. One legislator abstained.

Megawati was in Japan as part of her trip to several Asian countries and will return on Friday.

The result was somewhat surprising, as some large factions had previously played down the proposal, which was signed by a group of legislators from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Reform and Golkar factions.

The summons will also test Megawati's political ability to appease her critics ahead of next year's elections, when she will seek another five-year term.

Spokespeople for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar, United Development Party (PPP) and the Military/Police factions had suggested that the proposal be rejected because enough explanation had already been heard from government officials.

However, legislators from the Reform faction insisted that the President provide a broad explanation of the loss.

The contention prompted deputy House speaker Muhaimin Iskandar, who presided over the meeting, to call for a vote.

"The plenary meeting agrees to follow up the proposal to summon the President," Muhaimin, of the PKB faction, said as he announced the result of the vote.

Afni Ahmad, of the Reform faction, said that the President had to he held accountable for the upset defeat by Malaysia in the dispute over Sipadan and Ligitan islands.

Foreign and defense ministers have addressed legislators over the matter, but many were dissatisfied.

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of House Commission I on political and foreign affairs Effendi Choirie said that the motion would become a forum for the President to present her government's ideas on state borders.

Separately, Panda Nababan, of Megawati's PDI Perjuangan, said that the forum would remind people of thousands of islands in remote locations.

"This will not have a political impact on the President," he added.

Panda blamed the loss of Sipadan and Ligitan islands on previous administrations.

The dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over the two islands came to the fore in 1969 when both countries opened their initial talks on delineating common borders.

In 1989, leaders of both countries started diplomatic efforts to settle the issue and in 1996 turned to international arbitration.

The International Court of Justice ruled in December last year in favor of Malaysia.