Issue on dismissal of ministers no longer relevant

Issue on dismissal of ministers no longer relevant

JAKARTA (JP): Several House of Representatives (DPR) factions
on Thursday questioned the relevance of continuing the inquiry
into President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to dismiss two
economics ministers in April, 1999.

The Indonesian Military/National Police, the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National
Awakening Party (PKB), the Justice and Unity Party (FKKI) and the
Love Nation and Nationhood Party (PDKB) factions opined that the
House should concentrate on political issues that need urgent
solutions.

"Our faction respects legislators' democratic rights to
question the dismissal of the two ministers, but it will be
better if they settled the matter outside the House plenary
sessions.

"It will be time consuming to hold several plenary sessions to
discuss the issue while we still have other major problems that
need urgent solutions," spokesman for the Indonesian
Military/National Police faction Commodore Bachrum Rasir said.

He was referring to the dismissal of then trade and industry
minister Yusuf Kalla and then state minister for the empowerment
of small enterprises and state-owned companies Laksamana Sukardi
in 1999.

Bachrum said the House should focus on the massive rallies
demanding fair investigation into the State Logistics Agency
(Bulog) and Brunei financial scandals.

Pramono Anung Wibowo, a PDI Perjuangan councillor, said the
rallies were probably an attempt by certain groups to discredit
the government and to topple the President.

"It will be better for the House to focus their attention on
settling problems in Aceh, Maluku and Irian Jaya. All factions
and commissions should contribute to peaceful and comprehensive
solutions to the problems," he said.

Ida Mausyiah, spokeswoman for the PKB faction said the
President had given a written answer to the House's questions
with regards to the ministers' dismissal and that he had
apologized for all the sufferings that resulted from his
decision.

"The President has the prerogative to appoint and dismiss
Cabinet ministers. The President has stated his reasons for the
dismissal as well apologized for the decision," she said.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung agreed with the five factions,
saying that there was nothing more to be done over the dismissal
of the two ministers as the House's right to express its opinion
will only be futile.

"After we have stated the House's opinion, it will stop there.
Even if we say that the President had lied, it will only be filed
in the President's record," Akbar told journalists at his office
on Thursday.

"We do not have any constitutional avenue to take after
stating our opinion," he said.

However, Akbar maintained that the House may proceed to
exercise its right to express its opinion even in the absence of
further explanation from the President over the matter.

On the contrary, Setya Ratnawati, spokeswoman for the Golkar
Party faction, called on the House to continue with its inquiry
into the issue in observance of the existing mechanism in the
legislative body.

"As he had failed to provide clear reasons for dismissing
Yusuf Kalla and Laksamana Sukardi, the President has breached the
Constitution and the law," she said.

Nurdakri Ibrahim Naim, spokesman for the United Development
Party (PPP) faction, said that despite his prerogatives, the
President should clearly explain his reasons for the dismissal to
avoid disinformation among the public.

"As this is the reform era, the President, to prevent
absolutism, should not use his prerogatives arbitrarily.
Legislators who are dissatisfied with his explanation should take
him to court," she said. (rms/dja)