Legislators hail Gus Dur's move to suspend Wiranto
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators and political observers on Monday expressed their overwhelming support for the decision to suspend Gen. Wiranto from his Cabinet post as coordinating minister for political affairs and security.
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the suspension would help smoothen the investigation of the former Military chief after he was alleged to have been responsible for the violence that swept East Timor following the Aug. 30 independence ballot.
"It (the suspension) was what the House had earlier demanded. It's the right decision," Akbar, who is also chairman of the Golkar party, said.
While acknowledging the right of President Abdurrahman Wahid to install, dismiss or suspend his ministers, Akbar however questioned the installment ceremony of former minister of home affairs Soerjadi as the ad interim coordinating minister.
"It appears that Soerjadi was installed as a permanent coordinating minister for political affairs and security. In the past, there has never been a ceremony for an acting minister," remarked Akbar, who once served as state minister/state secretary and minister of sports and youth affairs.
House deputy chairman Muhaimin Iskandar also welcomed the President's decision and urged Wiranto to accept it without reservation.
"Wiranto should accept it. He is a gentleman and a statesman. We and the public would respect him," Muhaimin, who is also the secretary general of the Nation Awakening Party, said.
Foreign minister Alwi Shihab, who is known to be a close confidant of the President, expected the general public to see the decision as the best result for everyone concerned, including for Wiranto himself.
"The decision took into account the aspirations of many people, it did not disgrace Pak Wiranto and leaves open the possibility for him to resume his post if the investigation proves his innocence," Alwi told reporters on Monday.
Alwi remarked that having presidential prerogative powers, Abdurrahman could have dismissed Wiranto if he chose to.
"He (the President) only used the lowest level of power when making this decision," he added.
Alwi conceded that the drastic shift from Sunday's decision was, in some part, due to advice from certain parties.
"After receiving inputs from many parties, from inside and outside of the country, from whom I do not know, he eventually took the decision to suspend Wiranto," he said.
National Awakening Party chairman Matori Abdul Djalil praised the decision as the most appropriate the President could have taken.
"We all feel relieved with the stern attitude of the President to make sure that human rights violators are brought to justice," he said.
He said it was evidence of the government's commitment to upholding the law as the basis for democracy.
"Whether they are corporals or generals, for the sake of human rights, no one has impunity if they violate them," he added.
Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta political observer Riswandha Imawan from Gadjah Mada University warned that the suspension could lead to a further shakeup in the Cabinet as Wiranto was one of the guarantors in the selection of at least five Cabinet ministers.
"By suspending Wiranto, he leaves a time bomb in the Cabinet."
Riswandha warned that Abdurrahman may eventually have to replace all five ministers whose entrance into the Cabinet Wiranto had sponsored.
Political observer Mahfud MD from the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) also warned on Monday of an impending power struggle among the political elite as a result of the suspension.
"There might be a bitter fight between two different groups of elite politicians around Gus Dur.
"The first group may include, among others, Vice President Megawati, Wiranto and former Armed Forces commander L.B. Moerdani, while the other camp might comprise of the rights body and a number of NGOs."
He said the first group met Gus Dur in the morning, while the other group had probably intensely lobbied him into Sunday evening to get him to change his mind. (04/44/swa/edt/jun)