NU's stance

NU's stance

From Republika

Allow me to comment on the statement made by the chairman of
the executive board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), KH Hasyim Muzadi, in
Surabaya that the board of NU rejected the replacement of the
President without a general election.

This opinion is very difficult to comprehend because pursuant
to the 1945 Constitution it is possible to replace the President
without holding a general election. In 1967, for example, the
power of then president Soekarno was revoked in the Special
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). It must be
borne in mind that the president of Indonesia is not directly
elected by the people but by the Assembly. Therefore, the
Assembly constitutionally reserves the right to replace the
president if he or she violates the Constitution and the broad
lines of the state's course.

In the United States, where the president is directly elected
by the people, the Congress, in a joint session with the Senate,
can replace a president without having to organize a general
election. In 1974 then president Nixon chose to resign before the
Congress impeached him.

Abdurrahman Wahid is the President of the Republic of
Indonesia as elected by the Assembly and not the people directly.
It must be noted that he is a member of the Assembly not
representing a political party taking part in the general
election. He has become a member of the Assembly because the
General Election Commission appointed him to represent an
appointed group known as the "Representatives of Social Groups".
It is still fresh in our minds that his appointment led to
controversy because it was Abdurrahman that declared the
establishment of the National Awakening Party.

Therefore, the above statement made by the NU chairman in
connection with the demand that Abdurrahman step down is both
absurd and ridiculous because on the one hand, the board of NU
rejects the replacement of Abdurrahman as President without going
through a general election, while on the other, Abdurrahman got
his Assembly membership without directly being elected by the
people in a general election.

SUBAGIO ANAM

Legislator

PDI of Struggle Faction