National leaders will meet only with a clear agenda

National leaders will meet only with a clear agenda

JAKARTA (JP): In response to calls for a reconciliatory
meeting among members of the political elite, top national
leaders said on Tuesday that they would agree to meet only if
there was a certain agenda to discuss at the meeting.

Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais
said he never rejected the opportunity for meetings with other
state leaders, but stressed that they would be pointless without
a clear agenda.

"Such a meeting will inevitably result in failure if it's
solely symbolic. It'll just turn out to be a 'political
commodity' that will further cause misunderstanding," Amien said.

"People might think that there will be some kind of political
bargaining between us. So, we should have a clear agenda on what
to discuss," he added.

Amien said the agenda that should be considered was the
national leaders' stance on the recently issued memorandum
against President Abdurrahman Wahid.

"The memorandum has become not only a national issue, but also
an international one. So, we have to figure out something that
will make everybody happy and the most important thing is to
accommodate national interests," he said.

Asked about Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's statement
that the key to the meeting rests on Abdurrahman and himself,
Amien said such a meeting should involve others.

"I think what mbak Mega said is true, but not 100 percent
true, because the complex problems that we have to deal with
shouldn't rely solely on the two of us (Abdurrahman and Amien),"
Amien said.

"The major question is do we want to go ahead with the reform
movement or not?," he added.

Earlier on Monday, Megawati said the possibility of a
reconciliatory meeting between top political leaders depended on
the willingness of Abdurrahman and Amien.

Calls have mounted that the country's top political leaders --
Abdurrahman, Megawati, Amien Rais and House of Representatives
(DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung -- should meet in order to settle
the increasing number of pressing state problems.

Political turmoil began after the House issued a memorandum on
Feb. 1 censuring President Abdurrahman over two financial
scandals. The memorandum could lead to a special session of the
Assembly which may unseat the incumbent President from power.

Tension has mounted nationwide with anti-Abdurrahman camps
pushing for his resignation. Abdurrahman supporters have fought
back, involving a series of arson attacks at Golkar Party offices
in East Java, the stronghold of the President.

Yogyakarta's monarch Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X similarly
said on Tuesday that the meeting of the four figures should only
be held if there was a clear agenda.

"The meeting can only be successful if there is a certain
agenda to discuss," the Sultan said in an interview aired by SCTV
television station, adding that the leaders should consider
public welfare as the meeting's major goal.

Meanwhile, Akbar Tandjung insisted that the key to the meeting
rests on the President and other leaders.

"I have never refused any invitation to have such a
meeting...I'm always ready. But, now it depends on Gus Dur and
the others to hold the talks," said Akbar, referring to
Abdurrahman by his nickname.

While suggesting that Abdurrahman take the initiative to hold
the meeting, Akbar further said that it would always be better to
meet than not to.

"However, I cannot guarantee that such a meeting will resolve
anything in the country, but it is better than not trying to meet
at all," he said.

Akbar, however, suggested that the meeting should be formally
held by state institutions rather than through informal meetings
among the leaders.

"We all have to respect existing state institutions, we
shouldn't ignore that fact," Akbar said, but didn't elaborate.

Back in Jakarta, deputy assembly speaker Matori Abdul Djalil
said Amien and Abdurrahman had some kind of problem, dating back
to Abdurrahman's election as President in 1999, that both have to
settle.

"They both have things to settle. I think what mbak Mega said
is totally true," he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Golkar Party faction at the House
Syamsul Muarif said the four leaders should discuss the relation
between the state's high institutions and further power sharing
between them to end the current political crisis. (dja)