Legislators warned not to prolong dispute

Legislators warned not to prolong dispute

JAKARTA (JP): Observers warned legislators to allow the
brouhaha over President Abdurrahman Wahid's replies at Thursday's
interpellation hearing to die down, saying keeping the issue
alive would only further aggravate the situation while public
sympathy was now with the President.

Political observer J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic
and International Studies said the President showed humility in
his written reply to the House of Representatives, so legislators
should respond accordingly.

"If the House plans to continue the issue there will be a
public reaction against them," he told The Jakarta Post.

According to Kristiadi, Abdurrahman won the public's heart and
at the same time delivered a lecture on democracy to the
legislators and the public, so any attempt to further disgrace
the President would backfire.

Abdurrahman, in a written reply to the House of
Representatives on Friday, apologized for the trouble the whole
interpellation affair had caused.

Kristiadi remarked that during the interpellation hearing on
Thursday, he had the sense the legislators were attempting to
dishonor the president.

"There was no political ethics at all, they (legislators)
showed their poor quality during the interpellation. So they have
to cool down rather than sparking social resistance against
them," he said.

The House should have been more compromising and accepted
Abdurrahman's proposal to further explain the dismissal of two
economic ministers in a close-door session, Kristiadi said.

Soedjati Djiwandono told the Post it would be a "very stupid"
move if legislators attempted to prolong the dispute, because
Abdurrahman would ignore them as he did the interpellation
motion.

"They (the legislators) will look very stupid if they want to
continue by using their other rights to pressure Abdurrahman," he
said.

Soedjati praised Abdurrahman's apology to the House, saying it
managed to cool the situation and, although it did not have any
political impact, it had psychological value in fostering a more
positive atmosphere in the country.

"I think apologizing always shows humbleness ... that's why it
was good for Abdurrahman to apologize," he said.

Constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra revealed on
Sunday that even though the House legislators were not satisfied
with the President's response to their interpellation move, they
could not propose a memorandum to the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) to push for a special session.

"Thursday's interpellation motion was not filed in connection
with alleged violations of the 1945 Constitution or the State
Policy Guidelines (GBHN) by the President," Yusril said after a
gathering of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) he chairs in the South
Sulawesi capital of Makassar.

"House members can be adamant in this (interpellation) but
legally it is impossible for them to merely force the President
to resign on those grounds," said Yusril, who is also minister of
law and legislation.

Political observer Bambang Cipto of Yogyakarta's Muhammadiyah
University regretted the way Abdurrahman replied to the House
interpellation motion, saying his apology was the least he could
do.

"The President should have provided a much better answer by
giving a straight reply. He seems to like putting his pride on
the line, but he fails to show capability in restoring the
country's economic, social and political crises," he said on
Sunday.

"Even (U.S. President) Bill Clinton faced a bigger scandal but
he managed to win the trust of the people, who credit his success
to strengthening the country's economy," Bambang said.

He suggested that Abdurrahman give further clarity on the
matters, even if it must be done behind closed doors.
(27/dja/swa/edt)