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)