Move to unseat Amien opposed

Move to unseat Amien opposed

JAKARTA: A move by the former ruling Golkar Party to unseat the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Amien Rais, has met strong resistance from the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Amien's National Mandate Party (PAN).

Ali Masjkur Musa, chairman of the PKB faction at the House of Representatives, said such a move would provoke political instability in the country.

"I am against Amien's removal. Let us keep (House Speaker) Akbar Tandjung, (President) Megawati Soekarnoputri, (Vice President) Hamzah Haz and Amien Rais until 2004," Ali told reporters at the House building.

According to him, some MPR factions had been trying to marshal forces to depose Amien from his post as MPR chairman.

The maneuvers to sack Amien gained momentum after the House plenary meeting on Monday voted against establishing a special committee to investigate a Rp 40 billion scandal at the State Logistics Agency's (Bulog), involving Golkar's chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Ali said the maneuvers to unseat Amien were meant to suppress members of the Reform faction who all voted for the establishment of the Buloggate special committee.

Meanwhile, PAN board member AM Fatwa said Friday that removing Amien from the chairmanship of the MPR would add up to abandonment of the reform movement.

Fatwa said the general MPR session in 1999 elected Amien to the post because he was a leader of the reform movement, rather than as chairman of the PAN party.

"I think the idea to remove Pak Amien does not deserve much responding to," he said.--Antara