Ministers offer political panacea

JAKARTA (JP): The seven ministers tasked with drawing up the government's recommendations to settle the ongoing stand-off with the House of Representatives are fine-tuning their draft as the May 30 Assembly plenary session draws near.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Social, and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono declined to reveal much about the result of the meeting on Thursday, saying the team would report first to President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday.

"We have proposed many recommendations to the President and Vice President. But we need more time since some of the recommendations need reviewing," Susilo told a media briefing after the meeting.

Without going into details, he said that the draft had been unanimously accepted by the Cabinet.

He was referring to a ministerial meeting on Sunday which was described as a forum to unite perceptions among the Cabinet members on the current political situations and to formulate recommendations.

The Sunday meeting, in which both Abdurrahman and Megawati failed to show, underlined that the recommendations, which concerned constitutional, political, government management, national and international politics, should contribute to attempts to end the political crisis.

Also attending Thursday's meeting were Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli, Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja, Minister of Defense Mahfud MD, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa, and Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab was absent as he was on an official trip to China, and was only due home on Friday.

Earlier Mahfud said that the team of seven proposed a recommendation to reunite Abdurrahman and Megawati, an option they considered carried the minimum political and social risk.

"It's just one of our recommendations. It is all up to the President and Vice President," Mahfud said.

On Wednesday morning, Abdurrahman again held a breakfast meeting at Megawati's residence on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta.

Thursday's ministerial meeting followed moves by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) clerics to help the embattled President, who formerly chaired the organization, prevent the House from calling for a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly in its plenary session scheduled for May 30.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi also met with politicians associated with the Muslim group in two separate occasions on Wednesday and Thursday, calling on political leaders to resume efforts to seek compromise.

A group of NU clerics from East Java met with Assembly deputy speaker Naazri Adlani on Wednesday, demanding the highest legislative body annul two memorandums of censure issued by the House against the President. They also rejected the Assembly special session as an outcome of the censures.

"If the special session takes place, we won't take responsibility for what happens following the event," one of the clerics, Sudjudi, said.

Earlier on Sunday, more than 600 NU clerics from Central Java and Yogyakarta gathered in the sultanate town and signed a joint agreement to support the embattled President.

Political tension heightened due to reports that the President had considered the possibility of issuing a decree to dissolve the House. Abdurrahman has denied such a plan.

Army Chief of Staff Endriartono Sutarto and Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Indroko Sastrowiryono were among those who have voiced their opposition to such a proposal.

TNI reshuffle

In a related development, Abdurrahman summoned military leaders and top cabinet ministers on Wednesday to reassure them that he had no intention of reshuffling the military leadership.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, the three armed forces chiefs of staff and the state intelligence chief were all present at the unscheduled meeting at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday.

"The President expressed that there was no plan to replace the TNI (Indonesian Military) leadership, particularly the army and navy chiefs of staff," Susilo said after the meeting.

He added that the meeting was held in response to strong rumors and media speculation over the past days that Abdurrahman would soon replace Endriartono with a loyalist general.

Susilo said the rumors "could fuel the already tense political climate and stir uneasiness".

"So, I hope, the President's statement today can be cited as a reference," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Abdurrahman again denied rumors that he had any intention of replacing the military's top leadership.

"There is no such plan at all. It's all made up by the media," Abdurrahman told reporters at Bina Graha presidential office. (02/byg/rms)