Opposition figures' stances on special session differ

JAKARTA (JP): Major parties are spilt over the possibility of expediting the People's Consultative Assembly's special session following the President's latest move to dismiss the National Police chief after reshuffling the Cabinet.

Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung said it was possible to accelerate the special session should the President continue to violate regulations and ignore warnings from the House of Representatives.

Akbar reminded that ahead of the special session, the President should take measures that would create a conducive climate instead of confusion that would only provoke further political tension.

"We are all disappointed with the President as he always makes irresponsible remarks and accusations. Such actions show that he is not a good president, and we want a good president," Akbar said in Magelang, Central Java, on Sunday.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) considered President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to abruptly reshuffle the Cabinet last Friday as insufficient reason to expedite the special session.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post on Monday, PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said the party would stick to the constitutional process, which requires two months of preparation for a special session.

"We would never violate the Constitution, so we will wait the two months for the special session," Pramono said.

However, he further said that the party considered the Cabinet reshuffle was simply to fulfill the short-term political interests of the President.

"We respected that shaking up the Cabinet is the President's prerogative, but the reshuffle should improve the government's performance, not fulfill certain political interests of the President," Pramono said.

He underlined that Megawati had not been informed about the reshuffle and was never asked for an opinion concerning the move.

Abdurrahman will be asked for his accountability at the Assembly special session on Aug. 1. Should his accountability be rejected, Abdurrahman will be replaced by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Separately, in Semarang, Abdurrahman's brother Salahuddin Wahid said that as a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) follower, Abdurrahman should accept the reality of impeachment at the upcoming special session.

Abdurrahman chaired the NU for 15 consecutive years before he was elected president in 1999.

"If Gus Dur should step down then we should consider it fate, as he never had the intention of becoming the president in the first place," Salahuddin said.

He further said that NU followers should stay calm and leave the political process to the Assembly. (har/dja)