Legislators unite in call for calm

Legislators unite in call for calm

JAKARTA (JP): All 11 factions of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) on Sunday declared a unified stance and vowed to
reduce mounting political tension ahead of the Assembly's annual
session in August.

Faction leaders said, in a four-point statement, that the
escalating political tension had created "uncertainties" that
were detrimental to the country's effort to recover from
multidimensional crisis.

"We, therefore, believe that there should be a deliberate
effort to reduce political tension among the political elites and
the public," Soetjipto, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle faction, said, reading the statement.

"The fact that there have been differences of opinion should
not affect (our) commitment to maintain the country's unity," he
added.

Besides Soetjipto, the signatories of Sunday's statement were
Fahmi Idris of the Golkar faction, Ahmad Karmani of the United
Development Party faction, Yusuf Muhammad of the National
Awakening Party faction, A.M. Luthfi of the Reform faction,
Hamdan Zulvan of the Crescent Star Party faction, Sutradara
Ginting of the Indonesian Nationhood faction, Asnawi Latif of the
United Ummat Sovereignty faction, Manasse Malo of the Love the
Nation Democratic Party faction, Hari Sabarno of the
Military/National Police faction and Marzuki Usman of the Group
of Representatives faction.

The factions also called on the political elites "to
prioritize the interests of the nation and state, and not to put
their egos and respective interests over the interests of the
public".

"To develop a healthy democracy, all parties should always
avoid the use of anarchy, mass tyranny and political violence,"
the statement said.

The statement came as tension sharpened between the government
and the legislature, as well as between the four top political
leaders - President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House of the
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

The political divisiveness was also regarded as a major factor
in pressing the rupiah into a 21-month low and weakening share
prices at the stock exchange.

Abdurrahman is due to appear before the Assembly in August to
account for his turbulent nine-months in office.

Speculation is rife that the Assembly could try and topple the
President during the session despite analysts' predictions that
the likelihood of such a move succeeding is small.

Despite the consolatory tone of Sunday's joint statement, a
direct assurance that the Assembly would not attempt or begin a
process of toppling the President during the session was
conspicuously missing.

The statement also fell short of declaring their support for
Abdurrahman.

Amien, who was present on Sunday along with Akbar at the
statement signing ceremony, later explained that both support and
opposition towards the President were not clearly stated as
factions did not want to create a perception that "everything has
been prepared beforehand".

"So, let's just wait and see, although I am almost sure that
there will no impeachment because I don't see any door or window
to that possibility," Amien said.

Fahmi Idris remarked that impeachment is not on the session's
agenda.

Soetjipto added that the session was aimed at bolstering the
spirit of the state's executor, "and not to replace the
executor".

"But that's in the general session, after that I can't say".

Meeting

Meanwhile calls were rising for the four top political leaders
to personally meet in order to curb escalating political tension.

"The meeting should be held ... at least it will blunt the
sharp differences between them," leading Muslim intellectual
Nurcholish Madjid said on the sidelines of a seminar in Semarang,
Central Java, on Saturday.

Nurcholish was referring to a planned meeting between
Abdurrahman, Megawati, Akbar and Amien.

A high-profile meeting had been postponed at the last minute
on Wednesday with participants citing conflicting reasons.

Palace officials cited the busy schedule of each participant,
while other sources noted Megawati's reticence to take part and
Amien's unpreparedness to attend if Megawati was absent.

Nurcholish said that such a meeting between the politicians,
who have been at odds in recent months, would help reduce
differences between them.

"Their opinions would not necessarily become one but if (the
meeting) can result in the blunting of the sharp differences, it
is already a good thing," he said.

Another political observer, Azyumardi Azra, rector of the
Hidayatullah State Islamic Institute of Jakarta, echoed
Nurcholish's sentiments.

"One has to admit that the meeting between the four, if it
occurs, will not be some Aladdin's lamp which will resolve all
problems. But at least it will slightly cool the political
situation which has been heating up ahead of the annual
convention of the MPR," Azyumardi said.

The annual session is scheduled to be held on August 7-
18.(byg/har)