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)