MPR team agrees to hold snap session if necessary

MPR team agrees to hold snap session if necessary

JAKARTA (JP): A working committee of the People's Consultative
Assembly agreed on Monday night to allow Assembly leaders to call
a snap special session at any time before Aug. 1, should the
President take measures deemed harmful to the nation.

After a drawn-out meeting chaired by Assembly Speaker Amien
Rais, the committee confirmed that the special session would be
convened as earlier scheduled, on Aug. 1.

However, in a compromise move they also opened the door for it
to be brought forward.

"Should there be a worsening of the political situation that
could harm the country due to the President's decisions, then the
Assembly leaders can call for a plenary session of the Assembly
to decide whether it is necessary to hasten the special session,"
Amien said at the closing of the meeting.

He underlined that it would be in the authority of the 700-
member Assembly plenary session to decide if the special session
could be held before its scheduled date.

When asked what would be the criteria to determine a
"worsening situation", Amien replied, "It would be in the
authority of the Assembly leaders to determine what kind of
situation would open the possibility for an accelerated special
session."

The working committee convened the meeting to follow up a
proposal from seven factions at the House of Representatives to
bring forward the special session, following the controversial
dismissal of National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.

House legislators were also concerned about the repeated
threats from President Abdurrahman Wahid to impose a state of
emergency and dissolve the House if a special session sought his
accountability.

Abdurrahman again issued a warning on Monday that he would
impose such an order if a political compromise were not reached
by July 20.

Monday's meeting was filled with lively debate, as the largest
Assembly faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan), and the interest group faction strongly
rejected the proposal to bring forward the special session.

The Reform faction was the only one that strongly urged the
Assembly to hasten the special session, saying that the President
had repeatedly violated state guidelines.

The remaining eight Assembly factions left the decision to
hasten the special session to the Assembly leaders.

They felt that Assembly leaders, who represented all 10
factions, could call for the special session to be brought
forward, if they considered it appropriate.

PDI Perjuangan spokesman Erwin Muslimin expressed concern from
a constitutional perspective about bringing forward the special
session without any clear reason.

The faction contended that the Assembly special session could
be brought forward only if the country were in grave danger. He
said the President's decision to dismiss the National Police
chief did not constitute a threat to the safety of the country.

Interest group faction spokesman Sugiyarto echoed PDI
Perjuangan's position, saying that there was no constitutional
basis for an accelerated schedule.

The other major factions, from the Golkar Party and the United
Development Party (PPP), suggested that Assembly leaders closely
watch the President in the coming days, for any indication that
it was truly necessary to convene a special session prior to Aug.
1. (dja)