Megawati 'will not join conspiracy' to topple President
Megawati 'will not join conspiracy' to topple President
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and aides close to chairperson Megawati
Soekarnoputri, said the party would not partake in any conspiracy
to topple the President despite endorsing a legislative committee
report which implicated the President in two financial scandals.
One of Vice President Megawati's political advisors, Cornelius
Lay, said Megawati will not join a "political conspiracy" to
topple President Abdurrahman Wahid.
Cornelius, who heads the Political Bureau at the Vice
Presidential Secretariat, further asserted here on Saturday that
Megawati had no intention of jumping on the political bandwagon
to unseat the President despite her commitment to promoting a
clean government.
"No, Mega is not interested in that political move although
there is strong pressure on her to function as an Arroyo (the
Philippine vice president who replaced president Joseph Estrada)
who had to collaborate with a conspiracy to topple (the
Philippine) president when the president committed mistakes," he
told reporters after speaking at a discussion at the Yogyakarta-
based Islamic University here.
He said Megawati would act as any normal vice president by
helping the President to correct his past mistakes.
"According to our constitution, a vice president can become a
president if the president is permanently unable to sit as
president. A president's resignation over a certain mistake is
another (possible) political scenario," Cornelius remarked.
He said that it would be very inappropriate if the Vice
President is involved in a conspiracy to unseat the President.
Cornelis also said that unseating Abdurrahman would only bring
the country into prolonged uncertainty affecting the credibility
of the presidential institution.
"Mega doesn't want to see the President unseated before his or
her term ends. If she joins the political drive to topple Gus Dur
from the presidency, a similar thing can occur to her if she
becomes president in the future," he said.
Cornelis believes that the movement to unseat Abdurrahman was
among others being backed by remnants of the New Order regime and
those who wanted to save themselves.
He said that there were clear signs that the past regime would
attempt to return to the political arena by destroying the
current government.
Cornelis assured that Vice President Megawati would not be
tempted to follow the plot designed by those from the past
regime.
"I don't think Megawati will easily fall into the political
trap. She has learnt much from the past and that her supporters,
particularly at the grassroots level, would reject her step if
she does so," he said.
He further remarked that should Megawati engage in such a
political move her own government would be short lived.
Separately in Medan, North Sumatra, the secretary general of
PDI Perjuangan's central board, Sucipto, also asserted that the
party has never had any intention of overthrowing the President.
"PDI Perjuangan rejects any attempt to topple the President
through unconstitutional means," he said as quoted by Antara on
Sunday.
Sucipto said the party will weigh calls for Abdurrahman's
resignation calmly and rationally. (44)