House told to mind its own affairs

JAKARTA (JP): In his much-anticipated public address after being censured for the second time by the House of Representatives (DPR), President Abdurrahman Wahid rebuked the House on Wednesday for neglecting its main legislative duties.

Speaking in a nationally-televised address, Abdurrahman skirted the House's second memorandum of censure on his leadership which could lead to his impeachment. On the contrary, he reminded the House to mind its own business.

"The government, in this case the executive, the legislative and judicial branches, each has its own duties," the President said in an address broadcast by the state-owned TVRI channel.

"The DPR should make laws and there are now some 160 draft laws that need to be immediately deliberated."

Many believe that Abdurrahman's days are numbered after the House voted overwhelmingly on Monday for the second memorandum of censure against him.

The House in its second censure accused Abdurrahman of failing to heed warnings contained in the first memorandum issued on Feb. 1.

The first memorandum was based on a House probe that found Abdurrahman could have been implicated in two multi-million dollar financial scandals.

Abdurrahman maintained, however, that under the 1945 Constitution, the President could only be held accountable by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and not the House.

"The MPR's main task is to monitor the government so that it will not deviate from the right course," the President said.

Abdurrahman has repeatedly said that he should only be held accountable by the MPR at the end of his term in 2004.

"The government's honest accountability to the people is essential and inevitable, and this is promised by the government," Abdurrahman said.

Prior to his television address, Abdurrahman held a breakfast meeting with popular Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri that was described by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto as friendly.

Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the largest at the House, spearheaded the House's move to rebuke Abdurrahman for the second time.

While the President has until May 30 to respond to the second censure, a team of Cabinet members, led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has been trying to put forward some proposals for Abdurrahman to consider within this short period.

Team member Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. said on Wednesday the team had proposed a Cabinet reshuffle by involving major political parties as a means of increasing power sharing between the President and Vice President.

"If the option is power sharing, the ministers, especially those in the political, social and security fields, will invite the President and the Vice President to rearrange the Cabinet, if the present one is deemed not to be effective," Mahfud said.

Speaking at the Vice President's office after attending a meeting there, Mahfud said that the Cabinet reshuffle option was discussed by the President and Susilo's team on Tuesday.

Mahfud said, however, that the ministers' recommendations did not include that the President resign or hand over full power to Megawati.

Mahfud's statement came amid reports that Megawati's PDI Perjuangan was also coming forward with a set of proposals.

Suara Pembaruan afternoon daily newspaper quoted PDI Perjuangan deputy chairman Karel Lukas Degey as saying on Wednesday that the party had also proposed a Cabinet reshuffle, Abdurrahman's immediate resignation or a full handover of the day-to-day administration to Megawati.

Pramono Anung Wibowo, the party's deputy secretary-general, flatly denied the reports.

"The report is totally untrue. We had a meeting with Mbak Mega on Tuesday but there was no discussion of that", he told The Jakarta Post later in the day.

Meanwhile, a source close to the President said that resignation was one of the options mentioned by Susilo's team during its meeting with the President.

"The resignation, power sharing with the Vice President and Cabinet reshuffle were all mentioned, but within the context of political compromise," the source said.

"However, they underlined power sharing as the best choice and a Cabinet reshuffle would be within the power sharing scheme," the source added.

Another source at the Operations Center, established at Susilo's office a few months ago to monitor and make recommendations on various national developments, also said that the resignation proposal was conveyed to Abdurrahman by Cabinet members on Tuesday. (byg/dja/rms)