Major parties say no compromise struck

JAKARTA (JP): After three weeks, lobbying initiated by President Abdurrahman Wahid has not achieved compromise, his political foes declared on Sunday.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI Perjuangan) deputy secretary general, Pramono Anung Wibowo, and chief of Golkar Party faction at the House of Representatives, Syamsul Mu'arif, contended that the chance remains remote for a political deal and that the People's Consultative Assembly would go ahead with the crucial agenda of hearing the President report the accountability of his government's performance in its upcoming special session

"As one of the party's executive board members, I've never heard anything about the deal claimed by the President. I do not think a certain agreement will be made ahead of the special session," Pramono told The Jakarta Post.

Pramono and Syamsul were responding to Abdurrahman's claim on Saturday that major political parties had agreed not to touch four sensitive issues in the forthcoming special session.

Speaking during his visit to the East Java town of Mojokerto, the President said a minister who was included in his lobbying team has succeeded in convincing major political parties not to raise issues on the ties between the executive body, the House of Representatives and legal authorities, his accountability, the government's performance and the relationship between him and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Alhamdulillah, major political parties have begun to accept the four conditions through a declaration that is jointly signed," he said before local people, after making a devotional visit to the grave of the Muslim cleric, Sunan Usman Ngundung, in the village of Troloyo.

The President said: "I told them through pak Mahfud that if they (parties) decline to sign the declaration, I have an obligation to defend the Constitution. This should not be underestimated because without such an agreement Indonesia will collapse."

Gus Dur said he would not hesitate to take such constitutional action.

Mahfud, the Minister of Defense, is part of the President's team to lobby political parties in facing the special session where the Assembly will ask for the President's accountability due to his disregard of two memorandums of censure, issued because of his alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

Defying Abdurrahman's apparent threat, Pramono said that his party had not changed its support for the special session.

"In case of an important decision like political compromise, the party chief would have already informed us," Pramono said, referring to Megawati.

Syamsul said his party had never struck an agreement or commitment with the President's team of lobbyists regarding the agenda of the special session, scheduled to begin on Aug. 1.

"I've never heard anything about a change in the agenda of the special session," Syamsul told the Post.

On Saturday, Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung acknowledged, during a visit to the East Kalimantan capital, Samarinda, that he had met with Mahfud but both sides had not made any political agreement.

"So far, any progress has yet to materialize, even though the special session is drawing near. Golkar Party will just have to wait for the team to continue the talks," Akbar said, as quoted by Antara.

He underlined that his party would accept any agreement as long as it was for the good of the country.

Bomer Pasaribu, deputy secretary general of the Golkar Party, said his party would never make such an agreement with the president's lobbying team because it was against the Constitution.

"With regard to the President's claim, the President is dreaming that parties will bow down to his threats," he said, citing that his party did not give any concession to Mahfud in their recent meeting.

He added that the President's statement was a serious piece of disinformation or otherwise Mahfud had presented a misleading report, on his lobbying Golkar, to the President.

Bachtiar Chamsyah, deputy secretary of the United Development Party (PPP), also said that his party had not made an agreement with Mahfud.

He said he was no longer surprised at the President's claims as it was becoming a habit of the President to make controversial statements.

"This latest statement (from the President) may encourage political parties to seek a political compromise in the special session," he said. (rms/dja)