MPR special session can be held 'any time'

MPR special session can be held 'any time'

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) could
hold a special session to impeach President Abdurrahman Wahid at
any time, without the issuance of any warning from the
legislature, chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) Yusril
Ihza Mahendra said on Monday.

"I have previously voiced this opinion of mine to which
(Assembly speaker) Amien Rais and the figures of six factions at
the Assembly have referred to," he said in Bandung, West Java.

In a meeting with the factions, Yusril said that the Assembly
could hold a special session to discuss any matter, but they were
divided over a special session and an expedited one, because of
their respective legal consequences.

Asked to comment on several factions' inclination to issue the
second memorandum, Yusril, also a constitutional law expert, said
the House of Representatives could issue it because the 1978 MPR
decree regulates that the first memorandum could be followed by
the second one within three months, and not after three months.
The decree also states that, whether the second memorandum would
be issued or not depends upon the president's performance.

"The president is not constitutionally obliged to issue an
official response to the first memorandum and he is allowed to
give no response because the memorandum is merely a warning," he
said.

According to Yusril, his party has yet to see any improvement
in the government's performance since the first memorandum was
issued on Feb. 1 to censure the President for his alleged
involvement in the two financial scandals, known as Buloggate and
Bruneigate.

"Even worse, there are indications of the President's
violations in the two financial scandals because Sapuan, a
defendant in the Buloggate scandal, was sentenced to two years in
jail, while Siti Farikah's lawsuit against the House's
investigation into the scandals was rejected by the court," he
said.

Sapuan, a former deputy chairman of the State Logistics Agency
(Bulog), had said that he allowed the disbursement of Rp 37
billion (about US$3.7 million) belonging to Yanatera, Bulog's
employee foundation, as requested by Agung Alip Suwondo, the
President's masseur, because Suwondo said the President needed
the money for humanitarian aid in Aceh.

A total of Rp 5 billion was given to Siti Farikah, a
businesswoman friend of the President, who later returned the
money following disclosure of the scandal.

Meanwhile, the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction at the
House regretted the five factions' proposed second memorandum,
which it said contravened the Constitution.

"The five factions cannot propose the issuance of a second
memorandum because the first memorandum prevails until May 1, and
they have yet to hear the President's response to the first
memorandum," Abdul Kholiq Achmad, secretary of the PKB faction,
said in a political statement here on Monday.

He said the proposed second memorandum was a premature action.

The United Development Party (PPP), United Ummat Sovereignty
Faction (F-PDU), PBB and Reform factions submitted a proposal for
the second memorandum in the meeting of the House' consultative
body last Thursday.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
Golkar Party and Indonesian Military factions remained committed
to the MPR decree process which provides for a second memorandum
to be issued to the President after the three-month period
expires.

Separately, Amien Rais said he was sure that the President's
response to the first memorandum would not make any difference as
it would not win the House members' hearts.

"Whatever it says, the second memorandum will be issued," he
said in Karanganyar, Central Java, at the inauguration of a high
school run by Muhammadiyah. (rms/25)