MPR secretariat prepares election of vice president

MPR secretariat prepares election of vice president

JAKARTA (JP): The secretariat of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) has completed its studies on the mechanisms for an
MPR special session, including the procedures for the election of
the vice president.

The secretariat said the special session should be convened
two months after the MPR working committee commences its first
meeting to prepare an agenda for the special session.

The document, obtained by The Jakarta Post on Thursday,
further suggested that leaders of Assembly factions should
consult to discuss procedures for the session but should not
expedite the session as there was no constitutional basis.

"If there is an idea to expedite the special session then
there should be a national consensus to do so," the document
stated.

The document was prepared two weeks before Wednesday's plenary
session, in which the House of Representatives (DPR) called for
the MPR to hold a special session.

The document, signed by MPR Secretary General Umar Basalim,
added that the special session should run for eight days,
starting in early August.

The main agenda of the session would be to hear an
accountability speech from President Abdurrahman Wahid. After
hearing the speech, the MPR would then decide to reject or accept
it.

If the MPR rejects the accountability speech, the President
would then be given a second chance to present his argument
again. If the MPR rejects the accountability for the second time,
then the MPR would be able to dismiss the President.

"The House and Assembly hinted strongly that the Assembly will
reject President Abdurrahman Wahid's accountability speech. And
if this should happened than Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri is likely to replace Abdurrahman as president," the
document stated.

The final day of the special session should be used to elect
the vice president should Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
replace Abdurrahman Wahid.

"However, due to the different regulations, there will be a
problem to replace the vice president. Finding a legal
constitutional basis will present the greatest problem regarding
this issue," the document stated.

Currently, there are two Assembly decrees regulating the empty
vice president seat.

MPR Decree No. 7/1973 states that to fill the vice president's
seat there should be a request from the new president.

However, MPR Decree No. 2/2000 regulates that should the vice
president take over the presidency then the Assembly should elect
a new vice president.

There was no clear regulation to state that there is an
obligation to fill the position of vice president after the
special session as the new president could choose not to have a
vice president during their tenure.

"A problem could occur if one of the parties (the new
president and Assembly) refuses to replace the vice president,
while another party wants the position," the document stated.
(dja)