Legislators slam Gus Dur's response to memorandum

Legislators slam Gus Dur's response to memorandum

JAKARTA (JP): "Unsatisfactory" and "rhetorical" were some of
the unfavorable responses from legislators to President
Abdurrahman Wahid's reply to the House of Representatives'
memorandum of censure.

The general feeling among most legislators on Wednesday was
that, no matter how passionate the President's plea for
legislators not to approve a second memorandum, it would only be
a matter of time before one was issued.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
Secretary General Sutjipto said the President's speech was
nothing more than "meaningless rhetoric".

Sutjipto, who is also the PDI Perjuangan faction's deputy
chairman at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), also
decried the President's continued resistance to accept the
validity of the House's investigation into the financial
scandals.

Syamsul Muarif, chairman of the Golkar Party faction, warned
that the President's reply only encouraged House factions to
press ahead with the second memorandum.

"Besides being unsatisfactory, the President's response did
not address his alleged involvement in the disbursement of the Rp
35 billion in Bulog foundation funds," he said.

The influence of these two factions will be essential if the
House decides to issue a second memorandum.

PDI Perjuangan occupies 153 seats in the 500-seat House, while
Golkar has 120 seats.

Separately, senior legislators attending a meeting of Jakarta-
based newspapers' chief editors, known as The Editors' Club, also
regretted Abdurrahman's decision to avoid a response to the
alleged scandal.

PDI Perjuangan legislator Julius Usman told the gathering on
Wednesday evening that the issue would only be settled if "the
Assembly holds a special session".

The meeting brought together legislators and activists who are
members of the Nov. 11, 2000 Caucus, a combination of political
figures involved in an information-sharing cooperative.

Secretary-general of the United Development Party (PPP) Ali
Marwan Hanan also believes that conflict between the executive
and legislature will drag on until a special session is held.

"The only constitutional forum to invoke the President's
accountability is an Assembly special session," Ali insisted.

Maj. Gen. Budi Harsono, chairman of the Indonesian
Military/National Police faction, said he heard nothing new or
extraordinary in the President's response, but remained aloof as
to how the influential faction would react.

"It will be taken into consideration by the faction in
determining its political stance as to whether a second
memorandum is necessary," he said.

PPP's Bachtiar Chamsyah, who headed the now disbanded special
committee which investigated the scandals, said the lack of
substance in the response showed that the President is not
committed to improving the government's performance.

"The plenary session is not a forum to question the
investigation's procedures," he said.

Hatta Radjasa, chairman of the Reform faction, was facile in
his comment: "A second memorandum may be inevitable."

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said factions would deliberate
the President' speech and present their response in a plenary
session on Friday as to whether a second memorandum would be
issued.

Akbar went on to praise the President's willingness to
publicly apologize, saying Abdurrahman's "positive attitude shows
his recognition that he is still human".

Ali Masykur Moesa from the National Awakening Party (PKB) said
that his faction was ready to discuss the President's response
and will appraise it in accordance with constitutional standards.

Separately, Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo, chief of the Indonesian
Military's Territorial Affairs, was more positive about the
President's reply.

Agus told The Jakarta Post at his office in the TNI
headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, that the reply was a
starting point for reconciliation.

When pressed on the TNI/Police faction's stance, Agus only
said that it should not be trapped in a battle to make certain
political powers victorious.

Meanwhile, in Semarang, Central Java, political observer Arbi
Sanit said the various pros and cons to the response were normal
in the wake of such an event.

"I was informed that the House's consultative body had agreed
to seriously study the response," Arbi remarked, while urging
legislators to be more careful in responding to it.

According to him, PDI Perjuangan is playing a significant role
in nurturing the House's ability to become more prudent.

He stressed that the key to the nation's future was a
compromise among the political elite.

"The compromise would mean that Gus Dur remain in his post
with a promise to improve his performance. More power might be
shared with Megawati," he said.

"It will be very costly if the House's memorandum leads to an
Assembly special session to impeach the President.

"Megawati is not ready to become President. She doesn't want
to take the post now, and we can do nothing about that," Arbi
added. (rms/imn/dja/02/har/sur)