MPR's call for calm gets cool response
MPR's call for calm gets cool response
JAKARTA (JP): A unified stance proclaimed on Sunday by all 11
factions of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to reduce
mounting political tensions got mixed reactions from observers
with some saying it would help strengthen the plunging rupiah and
others describing it as having little impact.
Senior political observer Soedjati Djiwandono said on Monday
that he doubted the statement would have any significant impact
on the escalating political tension.
The joint statement, he said, confirmed that there has been
simmering divisions among the country's top political leaders.
"The fact that they felt they needed to meet together means it
is exactly the opposite ... if they were really united, they
should have remained as they were. They didn't have to prove to
the people they are united by getting together like that,"
Soedjati told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.
He also said it was difficult to understand the meeting
because "what they say is not necessarily what they think".
The factions said in a four-point statement that a deliberate
effort to reduce political tension was necessary because the
tension is detrimental to the country's efforts to recover from
multidimensional crises.
The statement came as tension sharpened between the government
and the legislature, as well as between the four top political
leaders - President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais and House of the
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung.
Abdurrahman is due to appear before the Assembly in August to
account for his turbulent ten-months in office.
Speculation is rife that the Assembly could try and topple the
President during the session despite analysts' predictions that
the likelihood of such a move succeeding is small.
"The MPR can do anything, but in principal, the August meeting
is not an extraordinary meeting and yet it could developed into
that if the members are not happy with the answers given by the
President .... the possibility is there but I don't think it is
likely," Soedjati said.
Despite the conciliatory tone of Sunday's joint statement, a
direct assurance that the Assembly would not attempt or begin an
impeachment of the President during the session was conspicuously
missing.
The statement also fell short of declaring support for
Abdurrahman.
Soedjati said the direct assurance was not put into the
statement as "they didn't want to be committed by that".
He added that "having a change of government at this stage
would be too costly for the nation".
"We can't afford that because the problems we face would be
difficult for any government ... whoever the leader. The task is
really tough," Soedjati said.
"What we need now is to continue to give him reasonable
support. But he should strengthen his Cabinet. He should appoint
people that he can really trust and who can work as a good team
with coordination and real order of priorities."
Another observer, Rubiyanto Misman, rector of General
Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java, echoed
Soedjati's sentiments.
"I think impeachment is not the best solution. It would only
provoke disorder rather than stability," Rubiyanto said.
He noted that people had to keep in mind that Abdurrahman has
huge base support.
He called on politicians not to let political ambitions get
the best of them and to put state interests at the fore.
Meanwhile, Cornelis Lay of Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta believes that the show of unity by Assembly members
will help ease political tensions that have seeped through to
people's daily life.
"The call will give a positive impact to the market and the
public. It will help the rupiah rebound soon, or at least stop it
from sinking further," he said.
However, he said it will have no direct political implications
on the Assembly. "It will not influence the MPR session next
month. The session will occur as it should."
Possibly the most important lesson to be learned from the
recent heightened political tension is that politicians should be
more wary of their actions.
"We hope politicians and legislators can go away having
learned they shouldn't play the market by conducting
irresponsible political acts," he added.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
reiterated on Monday that the August session would not become a
special session.
"So, I call on all parties not too worry about that," Akbar,
who also chairs Golkar Party, said.
However, he said that a special session of the Assembly could
be convened whenever the House considers that a president has
violated the Constitution and State Guidelines.
(44/byg/har/jun/sur)