Memorandum to President unconstitutional: PKB

JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction released on Friday a "white book" on their objections and the alleged fallacies of the House of Representatives special committee which investigated President Abdurrahman Wahid's involvement in two financial scandals.

The 63-page book titled Menegakkan Kebenaran (Upholding the Truth), documents the faction's belief that the investigation and conclusion which led to a censure and memorandum against Abdurrahman, is part of a larger conspiracy to topple the President.

PKB chairman Taufikurrahman Saleh during the book launching said there remains no shred of evidence implicating the President in an abuse of power in the disbursement of Rp 35 billion in funds from the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) foundation.

"The political plot became evident with the call of certain factions for an expedited special session of the People's Consultative Assembly to impeach the President," he said.

PKB members walked out and boycotted the House session which decided to accept the results of the special committee probe into the Bulog and Brunei scandals, with the only registered objections into the investigation coming from the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB).

"Of course, the President did seek funds to help people in the restive provinces of Aceh, Maluku and North Maluku, and was close to Suwondo but this is not strong evidence that the President violated the constitution and the Assembly decree on clean governance," Taufikurrahman added.

The PKB faction has also filed a lawsuit at the Central Jakarta district court against House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and Bachtiar Chamsyah, former chairman of the special committee, over the House's censure and memorandum.

Ali As'ad, another PKB faction member, said the issuance of the memorandum was also against the House's internal rules.

"According to a 1978 Assembly decree, the House has the authority to issue a memorandum to the president only if the latter violates the constitution. The House also cannot issue a warning to the president in the absence of a court decision finding him guilty in the scandals," he said.

Separately Bachtiar Chamsyah remarked that the book could end up being counterproductive to both PKB and Abdurrahman.

"They (PKB) can no longer deceive the people. Reading the book, the people will come to know the President's wrongdoing," he said. (rms)