Megawati consents second censure

Megawati consents second censure

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President and Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri
has given consent for her party, the largest faction in the
national legislature, to support the issuance of a second
memorandum of censure against President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra told
journalists after meeting with Megawati here on Monday that she
had confirmed PDI Perjuangan's support for the memorandum.

"We were discussing PBB's support for the second memorandum
and when I asked about PDI Perjuangan's stance, Ibu Megawati
said: 'It would be like that too'," Yusril said.

Yusril remarked that Megawati did not detail the reasoning
behind PDI Perjuangan's decision to support the memorandum.

However, according to Yusril, Megawati did hint that "there
was a lot of pressure from the party to do so and things were
difficult to handle".

Yusril, who was sacked in February by Abdurrahman as former
minister of justice and human rights, said he met Megawati to
propose a meeting between political party leaders to discuss the
future of the country after the memorandum is issued.

"We have to deal with what is going to happen after the
memorandum process and there was a suggestion to hold a meeting
between major political parties to discuss the issue," he said.

"Although she did not give an official reply on whether PDI
Perjuangan would join such a meeting, she did say that it is a
good idea, but should be conducted after April 30 when the House
and the President's positions are clear," he added.

Yusril stressed that the idea for such a meeting had
originated from several parties.

"I only conveyed the idea to Ibu Mega," he remarked.

The House of Representatives, currently in recess, will begin
its next session on April 30, with the issuance of a second
memorandum set to top the agenda.

The House issued its first memorandum on Feb. 1, following
suspicion that Abdurrahman had violated state guidelines and his
constitutional oath as president, in relation to his alleged
involvement in two financial scandals.

The issuance of a second memorandum increases the likelihood
of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which
has the power to impeach the president.

House speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is also chairman of the
Golkar Party, has said there would be little opposition to the
second memorandum, with the only objection expected to come from
the President's own National Awakening Party faction, which
occupies 51 seats in the 500-seat House.

PDI Perjuangan is the largest House faction with 153 seats,
followed by Golkar with 120.

Dialog

In a move intended to placate disgruntled politicians and
possibly lend a new lease of life to his battered presidency,
Abdurrahman and his supporters have been soliciting the idea of a
dialog between top political and national figures.

Contentiously, Abdurrahman's harshest critic, Assembly speaker
Amien Rais, has been ostracized from the prospective meeting.

But Abdurrahman seemed to change his tone, suggesting on
Monday that Amien was free to participate.

"It will be all right for him to take part. But if he refuses
to do so it will be up to him," Abdurrahman told journalists at
Bina Graha presidential office.

So far there has been no schedule set for the dialog.

Separately, Amien calmly said that it did not matter to him
whether or not he was invited.

"No problem," Amien remarked while claiming that he would
still abide by whatever decision was reached in the dialog,
irrespective of his attendance or absence.

"The most important thing is for the constitutional process to
proceed," he said.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung hinted that he would
reconsider his participation in the dialog if Amien was not
invited.

Akbar stressed that Amien's position as Assembly speaker was
respectable and strategic. (dja)