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)